Mike Defensor

Michael “Mike” Tan Defensor (born June 30, 1969) is a Filipino politician.

He finished elementary, Bachelor of Arts in History, and Masters in Public Administration at the University of the Philippines. He finished his secondary education at Miles McKinley High School, Ohio, USA. he is married to Julie Rose Tactacan Defensor.

Political career

Quezon City councilor

Defensor was elected as a Quezon City councilor in the 1992 elections at the age of 23, making him the youngest member of that body.

Congressman

Defensor ran for congressman of the third district of Quezon City in the 1995 election, subsequently winning and making him the youngest congressman of the 10th Congress. He won reelection in 1998.

Defensor distinguished himself as a leading member of the group of young legislators in the House. He was named one of the top 10 Legislators, New Millennium’s Most Outstanding Solons and Most Consistent Outstanding Congressman for three consecutive years by the Gladiators Magazine and Congress Watch Magazine. Reelected in 1998, Defensor was voted by his party-mates as assistant minority floor leader of the Eleventh Congress.

Estrada impeachment

Defensor was part of the Spice Boys of the House of Representatives that spearheaded the filing of the impeachment case against then-president Joseph Estrada.

Cabinet

After Edsa II,Defensor was appointed as Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He held that post until August 2004 when he was appointed Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

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.

Senate candidacy

Defensor was among first to file for candidacy for the senate on February 12, 2007. He employed a popular gossip show host Boy Abunda as his campaign manager.

Reputation

Defensor is known to be one of President Arroyo’s most vocal supporters. He lobbied the Liberal Party to support Arroyo in the 2004 elections.

After a wing of the Liberal Party (the Drilon bloc) broke ranks to support the call for Arroyo to step down, Defensor along with Manila mayor Lito Atienza threw their support for the president.

While in the executive branch of government, Defensor has a knack for ending up in key departments that end up being strongly promoted by the administration. He led HUDCC while the administration was very focused on housing. He also led DENR while the administration was pushing for mining projects.

While known to be a close Arroyo ally, he has somewhat shown “independence” among the President’s circle, taking a different stand on some issues, like the Charter Change, saying that “Moves to amend the Constitution before the May 2007 elections would be courting disaster.”

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)

Other positions held

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 / was nominted to the board of directors of Petron Corporation (with former budget secretary Emilia Boncodin). Defensor had been frequenting Macau, which has replaced Las Vegas in Nevada as the world’s gambling capital. Boncodin stated that Mike 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. Defeated administration candidate, former senator Ralph Recto joined the board of Union Bank, controlled by the Aboitiz family.

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