Palace Press Officer Claire Castro downplayed any alleged link between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and digital media founder Franco Mabanta, pointing instead to Mabanta’s past connections with former President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte. Mabanta was arrested over an alleged extortion attempt involving former House Speaker and Leyte First District Rep. Martin Romualdez.
Arrest and Allegations
Five people, including digital news site Peanut Gallery Media Network (PGMN) founder Franco Mabanta, have been arrested over an alleged extortion scheme against Romualdez. Mabanta denied the allegation and called the case a setup.
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag said Mabanta and four others — Ericson James D. Pacaba, John Alexander Vasquez Gomez, Jardine Christian Requio Serrano and Franco Jose Gallardo — were arrested in an entrapment operation on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
Matibag said negotiations allegedly began about a year ago and involved a demand that later reached P350 million before being reduced to P300 million, payable in four tranches of P75 million each. The money was allegedly sought in exchange for withholding online materials linking Romualdez to issues involving flood control.
Alleged Payoff
The NBI said Mabanta allegedly threatened to release a five-part expose through his social media network if the demand was not met. Earlier entrapment attempts did not push through after Mabanta allegedly refused to personally receive the money.
NBI lawyer Rehom Pimentel said the demand and threat were established during the entrapment operation, but Mabanta allegedly refused to personally receive the money, citing the presence of several CCTV cameras at the hotel. He said Mabanta instructed agents to bring the money to another location in Pasig City, where another person would receive it.
Pimentel said agents did not immediately arrest the person who received the money because that individual was not the subject of the operation. They followed the person, traced the money to a specific unit and found Mabanta there. Authorities then arrested Mabanta and the other individuals allegedly involved in the extortion scheme.
Mabanta’s Denial
Mabanta, in a statement posted on PGMN’s Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon, May 6, denied the allegations and said he and his group were innocent. “We are innocent. This was a setup,” Mabanta said.
He said PGMN had spent the last five months conducting extensive research on Romualdez’s alleged corruption while he was House speaker. Mabanta said the group had prepared a 90-minute video that had already been filmed, edited and was ready for release. “The episode was filmed several weeks ago. It has been fully edited — it is 90 minutes-long, packed with hard evidence, and ready for release,” he said.
Mabanta denied that PGMN threatened Romualdez or demanded money from him. “There was no extortion. There were zero threats from us,” he said. He claimed the case was meant to stop the release of the video. He also alleged that before the arrest, PGMN members had received warnings about their safety and that he had instructed his legal team and allies to release the video on major social media platforms if anything happened to him or any member of the group.
Palace Response
At the 48th Asean Summit and Related Meetings on Wednesday at the International Media Center in Lapu-Lapu City, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro rejected suggestions that Mabanta had personal ties with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Castro showed a photo that she said Mabanta had posted of himself with former president Rodrigo Duterte. She also showed a photo of Mabanta with Vice President Sara Duterte.
“He is not a friend of the President. Perhaps I would prefer if this is what you ask. Maybe you should ask what his relationship is with the Dutertes,” Castro said. Castro said anyone accused of wrongdoing must be held accountable under the law, but due process must be observed.
Charges Pending
The suspects will face complaints for robbery by extortion in relation to Republic Act (RA) 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. The NBI said the investigation is continuing and may cover digital evidence, including gadgets and social media accounts allegedly connected to PGMN.
