Prior to his election as the Governor of the Province of Iloilo on 13 May 2019, Arthur R. Defensor, Jr. served as three-term member of the House of the Representatives, becoming Deputy Majority Leader during his last term.
A lawyer by profession, he is a founding partner of the Defensor, Enrile and Mata Law Offices (SEDALAW), a law firm specializing in commercial law. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila University, College of Law in 1998; and his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy degree from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezen City.
As a lawmaker, Defensor has authored various bills of national significance, including Republic Act No. 11213 or the Tax Amnesty Act of 2019, Republic Act No. 10969 or the Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Act, Republic Act No. 11206 or the Career Guidance and Counseling Act, and Republic Act No. 11194 or the Gabaldon School Buildings Conservation Act, among others.
He also served as member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Iloilo from 2007 to 2010, and was the principal author of the 2010 Provincial Revenue Code of Iloilo. He was also once a member of the board of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) and the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco).
Defensor is married to Ma. Michaela Camacho Defensor, with whom he has a son, Lorenzo Arturo.
The Governor now in his second term as Governor of Iloilo.