Michael Tan Defensor (, born June 30, 1969) is a Filipino politician who most recently served as the

Party-list An electoral list is a grouping of candidates for election, usually found in proportional or mixed electoral systems, but also in some plurality electoral systems. An electoral list can be registered by a political party (a party list) or can ...

Representative Representative may refer to: Politics * Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people * House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities * Legislator, som ...

for Anakalusugan from 2019 to 2022. He is also the CEO of Pax Libera Mining, Inc. Defensor began his political career in

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,960,048 people. It was fou ...

, where he was a member of the city council from 1992 to 1995. He was elected as

representative Representative may refer to: Politics * Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people * House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities * Legislator, som ...

of the city's 3rd district in 1995. In congress, he was a member of the " Spice Boys", a group of young congressmen who led the efforts to impeach President

Joseph Estrada Joseph Ejercito Estrada, (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor. He served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, the 9th vice presi ...

. The impeachment trial and widescale protests of the

Second EDSA Revolution The Second EDSA Revolution, also known as the Second People Power Revolution, EDSA 2001, or EDSA II (pronounced ''EDSA Two'' or ''EDSA Dos''), was a political protest from January 17–20, 2001, which peacefully overthrew the government of Jose ...

resulted in Estrada's resignation and Vice President

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the House Deputy Speakers since 2022, and previously from 2016 to 2017. She previously ...

's accession to the presidency. Defensor went on to serve various positions in the Arroyo administration: chairman of the

Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council The Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) was the umbrella agency of various housing and development offices of the Philippine government. It was established by President Corazon Aquino through Executive Order No. 90, Series ...

Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources The secretary of environment and natural resources ( Filipino: ''Kalihim ng Kapaligiran at Likas na Yaman'') is the head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines. List References External linksDENR - History< ...

, and Malacañang Chief of Staff. He was also appointed to

Ninoy Aquino International Airport Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA , ; fil, Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Ninoy Aquino or ''Pandaigdigang Paliparan ng Ninoy Aquino''; ), originally known and still commonly referred to as Manila International Airport (MIA), is the main ...

and Philippine National Railways. In 2019, he was elected again to the House of Representatives. He was a leading figure among the 70 representatives who voted to deny the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN. During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, he promoted and distributed the antiparasitic drug

ivermectin Ivermectin (, '' EYE-vər-MEK-tin'') is an antiparasitic drug. After its discovery in 1975, its first uses were in veterinary medicine to prevent and treat heartworm and acariasis. Approved for human use in 1987, today it is used to treat i ...

as a prophylaxis and treatment for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

, despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting its efficacy. Defensor unsuccessfully ran for

Mayor of Quezon City The mayor of Quezon City ( fil, Punong Lungsod ng Quezon) is the head of the executive branch of Quezon City's government. The mayor holds office at the Quezon City Hall. Like all local government heads in the Philippines, the mayor is elected v ...

in 2010 and

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...

Education

He finished elementary, Bachelor of Arts in History, and Masters in

Public Administration Public Administration (a form of governance) or Public Policy and Administration (an academic discipline) is the implementation of public policy, administration of government establishment (public governance), management of non-profit est ...

at the

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 20 ...

where he became a member of the UP Alpha Sigma Fraternity. He finished his secondary education at

Niles McKinley High School Niles McKinley High School is a four-year public high school in Niles, Ohio, United States. As of the 2017-2018 school year, the school had an enrollment of 748 students and 40.77 classroom teachers (on a FTE basis, for a student-teacher ratio o ...

in Niles, Ohio. He is married to Julie Rose Tactacan Defensor.

Political career

Quezon City councilor

Defensor was elected as a

councilor from the third district in the 1992 elections at the age of 23, making him the youngest member of that body. He received the Manuel Quezon Bantayog Award for Most Outstanding QC Councilor for the year 1994.

Congressman

Defensor ran for congressman of the third district of

in the 1995 election, subsequently winning. He won reelection in 1998.

Estrada impeachment

Defensor was part of the Spice Boys of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

that spearheaded the filing of the impeachment case against then-president

Arroyo cabinet

After

Edsa II The Second EDSA Revolution, also known as the Second People Power Revolution, EDSA 2001, or EDSA II (pronounced ''EDSA Two'' or ''EDSA Dos''), was a political protest from January 17–20, 2001, which peacefully overthrew the government of Jose ...

, Defensor was appointed as Secretary of the

by President

. He held that post until August 2004 when he was appointed Secretary of the

Department of Environment and Natural Resources The Department of Environment and Natural Resources ( fil, Kagawaran ng Kapaligiran at Likas na Yaman, DENR or KKLY) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for governing and supervising the exploration, developmen ...

. In the 2004 presidential election, he served as the official campaign spokesperson of President Arroyo. After his tenure as DENR Secretary he was appointed Presidential Chief of Staff. He resigned that post on February 10, 2007, to campaign for a post in the senate. In June 2008 he was appointed head of

International Passenger Terminal 3 (NAIA-3) by virtue of the June 9, Executive Order No. 732 (creating the Presidential Task Force on the NAIA-3 that was "mandated to ensure the immediate opening and operation of Terminal III.") The order provides for the NAIA-3 opening based on decisions of the Supreme Court and applicable laws. On October 9, 2008, Defensor was named acting chairman of the Philippine National Railways (PNR).

Senate candidacy

Defensor was among the first to file for candidacy for the senate on February 12, 2007. He employed popular gossip show host Boy Abunda as his campaign manager. He was named to the TEAM Unity coalition backed by the Arroyo administration. However, he lost the race, placing 15th overall out of the 12 seats.

Representative for Anakalusugan

Denial of the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN

Defensor is one of the vocal opponents against the franchise renewal of

ABS-CBN ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Philippine commercial broadcast network that serves as the flagship property of ABS-CBN Corporation, a company unde ...

, together with Sagip Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta and Cavite Seventh District Rep.

Jesus Crispin Remulla Jesus Crispin "Boying" Catibayan Remulla (born March 31, 1961) is a Filipino lawyer, politician, and broadcaster currently serving as Secretary of Justice since 2022. He previously served as the representative of Cavite's 7th district from 2 ...

. He is one of the 70 congressmen who voted "yes" to "kill" (deny) the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN, in favor of the report from the Technical Working Group. After claiming continuous victory, Defensor inititiated an online forum via

Zoom Zoom may refer to: Technology Computing * Zoom (software), videoconferencing application * Page zooming, the ability to magnify or shrink a portion of a page on a computer display * Zooming user interface, a graphical interface allowing for image ...

and streamed live on

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...

along with Marcoleta, Remulla, Yedda Romualdez, Journalie Payonan,

Danilo Fernandez Danilo Ramon Subiaga Fernandez (born January 14, 1966), more commonly known as Dan Fernandez, is a Filipino politician, actor, and optometrist who is currently serving as a representative of the Lone District of Santa Rosa, Laguna at the House ...

, Jonathan Sy-Alvarado, Inno Dy and Alfred delos Santos to discuss the fate of ABS-CBN. On July 18, 2020, they discussed the potential takeover of the ill-fated network due to alleged tampered

torrens title Torrens title is a land registration and land transfer system, in which a state creates and maintains a register of land holdings, which serves as the conclusive evidence (termed " indefeasibility") of title of the person recorded on the regist ...

, fine for the alleged illegal sale of

ABS-CBN TV Plus ABS-CBN TV Plus (formerly Sky TV+ and stylized as ABS-CBN TVplus, repackaged in 2021 as ABS-CBN TVplus Digital TV Receiver) is a Philippine ISDB-T encrypted digital terrestrial television provider owned and operated by ABS-CBN Convergence, a ...

for almost , and the total closure of

Sky Cable Sky Cable (stylized as SKYcable) is a cable television service of Sky Cable Corporation in the Philippines. It covers areas across the country with both digital and analog cable services, and it has 700,000 subscribers, controlling 45% of ...

as suggested by Rep. LRay Villafuerte. Meanwhile, pro-ABS-CBN advocate

Christine Bersola-Babao Christine Peji Bersola-Babao (; born October 30, 1970), known professionally as Tin Tin, is a Filipina multi-media personality. She is best known for starring in the educational television program ''Sine'skwela''. Life and career Christine B ...

slammed the forum and called the congresspersons as "evil", and

Senate President President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate. It corresponds to the speaker in some other assemblies. The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's succession for its top executive office: for ex ...

Tito Sotto Vicente Castelo Sotto III (; born August 24, 1948), professionally known as Tito Sotto, is a Filipino politician, entertainer and athlete who served as Senate President from 2018 to 2022. Before that, had two stints each as Senate Majority Le ...

slammed the possible takeover of ABS-CBN by calling the compound as constitutionally protected.

BTS sa Kongreso

In January 2021, Defensor is announced to be part of the new bloc "''BTS sa Kongreso''" (named after the K-pop boy band group

BTS BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-pr ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

), a coalition group formed by

Alan Peter Cayetano Alan Peter Schramm Cayetano (Tagalog pronunciation: ajɛˈtano born October 28, 1970) is a Filipino politician, lawyer, and diplomat serving as a Senator since 2022 and previously from 2007 to 2017. He was the Senate Minority Leader from 20 ...

of the

of 18th Congress.

Ivermectin pantry

In April 2021, Defensor and SAGIP party-list representative Rodante Marcoleta initiated an "ivermectin pan-three" that distributes the anti-parasitic drug

, despite warnings from the World Health Organization on the lack of evidence to support ivermectin's efficacy against COVID-19.

Controversies

Involvement in ZTE-NBN corruption scandal

Mike Defensor, on July 4, 2008, filed 6-page

perjury Perjury (also known as foreswearing) is the intentional act of swearing a false oath or falsifying an affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to an official proceeding."Perjury The act or an inst ...

lawsuit Friday versus Rodolfo Noel Lozada for "testifying under

oath Traditionally an oath (from Anglo-Saxon ', also called plight) is either a statement of fact or a promise taken by a sacrality as a sign of verity. A common legal substitute for those who conscientiously object to making sacred oaths is to g ...

that he had paid Lozada to change his statement that he was not kidnapped at

(NAIA) when he arrived from Hong Kong at the height of the

Philippine National Broadband Network controversy The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

(

ZTE ZTE Corporation is a Chinese partially state-owned technology company that specializes in telecommunication. Founded in 1985, ZTE is listed on both the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. ZTE's core business is wireless, exchange, opt ...

Zhong Xing Telecommunication Equipment Company Limited scandal)."

Laws authored by Mike Defensor

*RA 8313, An Act upgrading the Quirino Memorial Medical Center *RA 8976, An Act Requiring the Fortification of Processed Foods with Essential Micronutrients *An Act Creating the Department of Housing and Urban Development (co-author) *Dangerous Drugs Act of 1998 (co-author) *Act Amending the Magna Carta of the Disabled Persons (co-author) *Act Mandating the Nationwide Rabies Vaccination Program (co-author) *Technical Working Group (TWG) report recommending the denial of ABS-CBN's franchise application (co-author)

Other positions held

*Former Vice-Chairman, House of Representatives’ Committee on Legislative Franchises *Chief Executive Officer, Pax Libera Mining *Chair, NiHAO Mineral Resources Inc. (mining company) *Chair, Geograce Resources Philippines (mining company) *Chairperson, Kabataang Liberal ng Pilipinas *Chairperson, National Movement of Young Legislators *Chairperson, National Union of Students in the Philippines *Lord Chancellor, Alpha Sigma Fraternity *Program Director, Youth Council of the Philippines

Director, Petron Corporation

On December 4, 2007, Mike Defensor quietly joined to the board of directors of Petron Corporation with former budget secretary Emilia Boncodin. Defensor had been frequenting

Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a p ...

. Boncodin stated that Defensor was invited to the board by Nicasio Alcantara, government's team head / Chair, Petron. Membership in the Petron board is a lucrative job, as Defensor was offered a board seat in sequestered

United Coconut Planters Bank The United Coconut Planters Bank, more popularly known by its initials, UCPB, or by its old name, Cocobank, was a government-controlled and was one of the largest banks in the Philippines, ranking within the top twenty banks in the country in ...

. Defeated administration candidate, former senator

Ralph Recto Ralph Gonzalez Recto (; born January 11, 1964) is a Filipino politician, who, since 2022, is serving as the representative for Batangas' 6th district and is one of the House Deputy Speakers. He previously served three terms in the Senate: fr ...

joined the board of Union Bank, controlled by the Aboitiz family.

Notes

References

Mike Defensor official websiteMike Defensor websiteMike Defensor Facebook website (for AnaKalusugan Partylist)Profile of Michael T. Defensor
, - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Defensor, Michael 1969 births Living people Arroyo administration cabinet members Chairpersons of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council of the Philippines Heads of government agencies of the Philippines Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino politicians Lakas–CMD (1991) politicians Liberal Party (Philippines) politicians Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Quezon City Niles McKinley High School alumni Party-list members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines People from Quezon City People's Reform Party politicians Presidential chiefs of staff (Philippines) Quezon City Council members Secretaries of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines