Former representative Mike Defensor on Tuesday said he is prepared to face the non-bailable plunder charges expected to be filed against him this week, insisting the case is politically motivated and part of a broader effort to silence critics of the administration.

Speaking on the sidelines of an Iglesia ni Cristo rally at the People Power Monument, Defensor said he would not evade the legal process even if the case leads to his imprisonment.

“I will not hide. I never hid before, and they will not win. They can jail me, but I will not hide. I will fight this. As long as I have a voice, I will keep fighting,” he told reporters.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Monday announced that plunder charges will be filed before the Sandiganbayan against Senator Rodante Marcoleta, Defensor, and businessmen Aristotle Viray and Joseph Espiritu over an alleged P75-million campaign donation made before the 2025 elections.

The Ombudsman’s investigation allegedly found that Defensor had contributed P30 million, Espiritu P25 million, and Viray P20 million to Marcoleta’s senatorial campaign over a four-day period in January 2025.

Investigators said the funds were not properly disclosed and that donor taxes were paid only months later, raising suspicions of a concealment.

The Sandiganbayan had earlier issued a precautionary hold departure order against the four respondents while preliminary proceedings were ongoing.

Marcoleta has denied any wrongdoing, arguing that the money came from private campaign donations rather than public funds, although the amount exceeded the P50-million threshold under the Anti-Plunder Law.

Defensor echoed that position, dismissing the case as fabricated.

“We cannot do anything if they file a case against us, but this nonsense case clearly shows they are just forcing the charges against us,” he said.

The former lawmaker also linked the plunder complaint to a separate criminal case recently filed by the National Bureau of Investigation against him before the Pasig City Prosecutor’s Office.

The NBI charged Defensor and his wife, Julie Defensor, with human trafficking after investigators alleged that a Pasig bar and hotel they supposedly owned had been used to sexually exploit women. Defensor denied the accusation and described it as another attempt to discredit him.

“Those using their voices to demand investigations and expose corruption are the ones being jailed, while those involved in corruption are being turned into state witnesses and escaping liability,” he said.