Agency files human trafficking raps vs Defensor wife, son; Matibag dares ex-solon: “You put your family in that business”
By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The National Bureau of Investigation stood firm Saturday that its raid on a Pasig City nightclub linked to former congressman Mike Defensor was a “legitimate” rescue and entrapment operation — not a political hit job.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag told a news forum the operation at Chicago Nightclub was coordinated with the Pasig City government after intelligence reports alleged sexual exploitation of women.
“Women working there were among those being exploited,” Matibag said. The bureau said the raid stemmed from reports that female workers were being trafficked for sex services.
The NBI has filed human trafficking and illegal drug charges against Julie Defensor and Miguel Defensor, wife and son of former congressman Mike Defensor.
According to the bureau, Chicago Nightclub was involved in sex trade activities, with women allegedly brought to Beu Hotel, which Matibag said is connected to the nightclub and used for sexual services.
Beu Hotel, Matibag said, is owned by Zerrin Development Corp. Julie Defensor serves as chairperson, while Miguel Defensor is treasurer. “Chicago Nightclub has a lease agreement with the same company,” Matibag added, citing a 2025 lease contract signed by Julie Defensor in NBI possession.
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Matibag rejected claims from the Defensors that the raid was a “political attack.”
“I challenge Mike Defensor and his wife: let’s not bring this into politics, and don’t say that I dragged your family into politics. You are the ones who put your family in that kind of business,” Matibag said.
He stressed that under the Rules of Court, documentary evidence carries weight and is considered “prima facie evidence unless proven otherwise.” The records, he said, were secured from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Pasig City government.
“It is not the NBI’s fault that your wife and daughter were implicated because they were placed in that line of business where accountability is required,” Matibag said.
Julie Defensor called the accusations a “deliberate, dangerous, and desperate lie” and accused authorities of a “relentless pattern of harassment” and political attacks. She told Matibag to stop dragging her and her daughter into the case if he has issues with her husband.
Mike Defensor has been a high-profile opposition figure and critic of the current administration. He lost the Pasig mayoral race in 2022 but remains politically active. Allies claim the NBI raid fits a pattern of cases filed against administration critics. The NBI counters that the evidence — SEC records, lease contracts, corporate interlocks — drove the charges, not politics.
The raid occurred at Cliffpoint Square, under Cliffpoint Development Corp., where Mike Defensor is chairman. Matibag said Cliffpoint has “shares interlocking directors and officers” with the nightclub.
The NBI is now probing whether there’s sufficient evidence to include the former congressman in the complaint. “We are looking into the ties between Cliffpoint Development Corporation and him, since there are interlocking relationships. If we have sufficient evidence to show that they are essentially one group operating as a single operation, we will not hesitate to include him,” Matibag said.
Corporate papers from SEC and Pasig LGU show Julie as chairperson and Miguel as treasurer of Zerrin Development Corp., which owns Beu Hotel. The same company has a 2025 lease with Chicago Nightclub, signed by Julie. For NBI, that’s prima facie linkage.
Julie Defensor denied any involvement in nightclub operations and said linking her family is politically motivated. She accused Matibag of harassment.
The NBI insists this is about trafficking and corporate accountability. The Defensors say it’s about 2028. The case now hinges on whether prosecutors view the SEC and lease documents as proof of operational control — or just corporate paperwork.
With Mike Defensor still a vocal political figure, every move against his family’s business interests will be read through a political lens. But Matibag’s message is blunt: “Don’t call it politics when the paper trail leads to your boardroom.”
