MANILA — Antonio “Tony” Meloto, the founder of Gawad Kalinga and one of the Philippines’ best-known civic figures, was arrested in Bulacan on Friday night, May 29, in connection with two counts of qualified trafficking in persons, police said.
The arrest was carried out in Angat, Bulacan, after a court issued a warrant in the case. Police officials said no bail was recommended.
The case marks a major legal turn for Meloto, whose anti-poverty work through Gawad Kalinga made him a prominent figure in Philippine civil society and international development circles.
The case stems from a Department of Justice resolution issued in September 2025, when prosecutors approved the filing of two counts of trafficking in persons under Republic Act No. 9208, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act. The allegations were brought by two former participants in Gawad Kalinga-related programs.
According to reports citing the DOJ resolution, prosecutors found prima facie evidence to bring the case to court. The complaints involved alleged acts in 2017, including alleged abuse connected to Gawad Kalinga’s School for Experiential and Entrepreneurial Development, or SEED, a youth training program associated with the organization.
Prosecutors alleged that the conduct described in the complaints fell under trafficking in persons and was qualified by abuse of authority. The DOJ resolution, as cited in reports, characterized the alleged conduct as more than isolated misconduct and said it involved exploitation facilitated by organizational hierarchy and deception.
Meloto has denied the allegations. In an earlier ABS-CBN interview after the DOJ indictment, he called the accusations part of a “demolition job” against him.
Gawad Kalinga previously said it conducted an internal investigation in 2017 after allegations were raised by former beneficiaries and that it provided assistance to the complainants. The organization said it acted discreetly at the time to protect their privacy.
Founded as a community-building and anti-poverty initiative, Gawad Kalinga became widely known for housing, livelihood and social development programs in poor communities. Meloto and Gawad Kalinga received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 2006.
The case now enters the trial phase, where prosecutors must establish the charges in court and Meloto will have the opportunity to answer them. At this stage, the allegations remain unproven, and Meloto is presumed innocent unless and until convicted.
