MANILA – The National Bureau of Investigation–National Capital Region (NBI-NCR) has filed a complaint for qualified human trafficking against former congressman Mike Defensor and six other respondents before the Pasig City Prosecutor’s Office.

According to a media report, the complaint was filed on Friday and includes Defensor’s wife, Julie Rose Defensor, among the respondents.

Aside from qualified human trafficking, the complaint also accuses the respondents of engaging in acts that promote trafficking in persons and using trafficked persons.

The case stems from an April operation by NBI agents at the Chicago KTV Bar in Pasig City, where authorities rescued 54 women.

NBI Director Melvin Matibag earlier said Defensor serves as chairman of Cliffpoint Development, which operates Cliffpoint Square where the KTV bar is located. He added that Defensor owns a 65-percent stake in Pax Libera Mining, which in turn holds a 72.96-percent interest in Cliffpoint.

Matibag also said Julie Rose Defensor is president of Cliffpoint and chairperson of Bleu Hotel, while one of the couple’s children serves as the company’s corporate secretary.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Defensor criticized the filing of the complaint and posted an edited image showing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. holding a pug with Matibag’s face superimposed on the animal.

“GOOD JOB, MATI-PUG! Nag-file na KAHAPON si MATI-PUG ng NON-BAILABLE na KASO laban sa akin at sa aking pamilya! Isinama ang aking ASAWA at DALAWA kong ANAK. Yung ABOGADO kong anak na BUNTIS na Corporate Secretary lang- dinamay pa,” Defensor wrote.

“MAUNA pa akong MAKUKULONG kaysa sa mga KURAKOT na NAGNAKAW sa ating BAYAN. Kahit ISA, wala pang NAPAKULONG ang NBI sa NAKAWAN, pero sa mga NAGSASALITA laban dito ay AGRESIBO si MATI-PUG!,” he added.

“Ang aking PANANAMPALATAYA sa DIYOS at ang HINAING ng ating mga KABABAYAN ang aking TANGING PINANGHAHAWAKAN. Hindi ako UURONG! Hindi ako TATAHIMIK!,” he said.

Before the complaint was filed, Defensor said he was prepared to face the case.

“Haharapin ko. At ako, naniniwala ako, wala siyang kakaso-kaso,” Defensor said in an ambush interview.

He also claimed that the complaint was intended to silence him.

Earlier this month, Defensor represented the 18 alleged former bodyguards of former lawmaker Zaldy Co during a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing led by the Cayetano bloc. The witnesses denied allegations that their testimonies were scripted or politically motivated after they claimed they had delivered suitcases of money to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Senators Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Erwin Tulfo, Representative Leila de Lima, former Representative France Castro and other personalities.

Those named in the allegations denied the claims.