CEBU, Philippines – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested Peanut Gallery Media Network (PGMN) founder Franco Mabanta and four others on Tuesday, May 5, in Pasig City for their alleged involvement in an extortion scheme against the former speaker of the House of Representatives.

(Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misstated that Mabanta and the four others were arrested on Wednesday, May 6. This has been corrected.)

In a press release on Wednesday afternoon, the NBI disclosed that Mabanta allegedly demanded P300 million from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s cousin, Leyte 1st District Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, in exchange for withholding the publication of online video content linking Romualdez to “corruption in the House of Representatives.”

“A portion of the purported video material was allegedly sent to lend credence to the threat,” the NBI said.

Romualdez, in response, filed a complaint with the NBI, accusing Mabanta, who allegedly conspired with other individuals, including one of the PGMN anchors, of extortion.

Who is Mabanta?

Mabanta was a social media strategist for the Marcoses in 2018. 

“Being a strategist and the Chief Social Media Director for the Marcoses was really unlike anything I had experienced in my life; less because theirs is indisputably the most crucial last name in Philippine history, but more because I was working for a proper human being,” Mabanta said in a social media post dated September 13, 2019.

Mabanta dedicated the post to President Marcos whose birthday falls on September 13. 

When asked about Mabanta’s connection with the President, Palace Press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro, in a press briefing in Cebu on May 6, said that they are not “friends.” 

Castro showed photos (below) of Mabanta’s engagements with former president Rodrigo Duterte, whom the PGMN founder had expressed support for as early as 2016, based on his social media posts.

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Entrapment operation

On Tuesday, May 5, NBI said operatives set arrangements for the delivery of the first of four tranches of the P300 million, amounting to P75 million, to Mabanta and his colleagues.

“At around 5:30 pm, Mabanta met with undercover agents posing as representatives of the complainant at The Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City. During the meeting, Mabanta allegedly reiterated his demand and instructed the agents to deliver the money at Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig City to a certain ‘Jimmy’,” the NBI said.

“Jimmy” was later identified as Jardine Christian Serrano, one of those arrested. 

“Upon delivery of the entrapment money, Serrano and Franco Jose Gallardo received the cash and brought it to a function room inside the [Valle Verde Country] club, where Mabanta and two other individuals — Ericson James D. Pacaba and John Alexander Vasquez Gomez were waiting,” the NBI said. 

“Recovered from the subjects were the entrapment money and mobile phones allegedly used in coordinating the transaction,” the NBI said. All five men were arrested in the entrapment operation.

“Freedom of expression is protected by law, but it must never be used as a shield for extortion, intimidation, or criminal exploitation. The NBI will relentlessly pursue those who weaponize digital platforms to threaten, harass, and unlawfully profit from others,” NBI Director Melvin Matibag said.

As of this writing, Mabanta and the four others were still under the custody of the NBI for booking, documentation, and inquest proceedings.

Mabanta claims innocence

In a statement posted on PGMN’s social media page, Mabanta said that he and his fellow accused are innocent, calling the NBI entrapment operation a “setup.”

“Days before our arrest, we had been privately warned multiple times by powerful close friends who were aware of the situation that there is legitimate concern for our physical safety in that any or all of us could be hurt or killed by hitmen,” Mabanta said.

The PGMN founder added that prior to the arrest, he gave instructions to their legal team and trusted allies to publish their “exposé” on Romualdez if anything were to happen to him and their staff.

“If this is the price to pay to do what’s right, then so be it,” Mabanta said.

‘Not a press freedom issue’

Mabanta, in a video by Inquirer.net while he and his fellow accused were being escorted by authorities, claimed that his arrest was “an attack on the press.”

This was debunked by University of the Philippines journalism Professor Danilo Arao who said in an interview with the ABS-CBN News Channel that Mabanta is not a journalist but a “political operative.”

Arao said that Mabanta has claimed credit for the victory of his clients who availed his services during their political campaigns.

“Maybe he is media-savvy but his expertise is definitely not in journalism and it makes you wonder why he would set up a media organization even if he doesn’t know much about journalism,” Arao said. – Rappler.com