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Pasig City Hall
Pasig City Public Information Office? via Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — The Pasig City government has ordered the immediate closure of Bleu Hotel, the establishment at the center of a human trafficking case being linked to the family of former congressman Mike Defensor.
The closure order, dated April 27 and made public Tuesday, directs Zerrin Dev't Corp. to cease operations pending the resolution of criminal complaints before the Pasig City Prosecutor's Office.
According to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Julie Defensor, the former congressman's wife, is listed as chairperson and president of Zerrin, while their child Miguel Gabriel is its treasurer.
Julie Defensor has denied any connection to the establishment or its operations. Former lawmaker Mike Defensor said they used to own the hotel and operate it but in 2019 turned over its ownership to another group, according to his interview with One News last week.
The Pasig City's closure order cited the April 21 NBI raid on the hotel and the adjacent nightclub, where agents arrested 15 individuals linked to a scheme where women were allegedly recruited and exploited for sexual services.
The NBI filed trafficking and drug charges against the Defensors and several others.
In a separate statement Tuesday, the bureau defended the closure as grounded in evidence and not a political move — remarks that come after the Defensor family claimed the case was politically motivated.
"Owners, incorporators, and those with legal and beneficial control over establishments may be held liable when their businesses are used as instruments of trafficking," the NBI said.
