Social media personality Franco Mabanta arrested over alleged extortion
The National Bureau of Investigation has arrested social media personality Franco Mabanta over alleged extortion.
The agency's director, Melvin Matibag, confirmed the apprehension to the Philippine STAR on May 6.
The NBI said that the case stems from a complaint filed by former House Speaker Martin Romualdez against Mabanta, the founder and CEO of Peanut Gallery Media Network (PGMN) and four others, including an anchor identified as "CJ Hirro."
Mabanta allegedly threatened Romualdez with releasing a video that supposedly portrays the former House Speaker as a "mastermind" in the corruption in the House of Representatives.
The social media personality purportedly demanded P300 million—to be paid in four tranches of P75 million—from the lawmaker in exchange of withholding the supposed exposé.
Mabanta was apprehended after an entrapment operation at The Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati, during which he allegedly reiterated his demand and told agents to deliver the money at Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig to a man identified as Jardine Christian Serrano.
Mabanta, Serrano, and three others, Ericson James Pacaba, John Alexander Vasquez Gomez, and Franco Jose Gallardo, were later arrested. They are now under the custody of NBI - Oganized and Transnational Crime Division.
According to the STAR, NBI said that Romualdez and officials of PGMN were allegedly in talks since last year, but soon stopped until two weeks ago.
Mabanta has denied the allegations.
Matibag has emphasized that Mabanta's arrest does not curtail freedom of expression.
“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," he said.
Mabanta says no extortion
Mabanta, through a statement posted on PGMN's Facebook page, maintained innocence and called the entrapment a "setup."
He said that the media network has been working on a piece on the "breathtaking national corruption" of Romualdez during his stint as House Speaker.
"What we have is devastating," Mabanta described the fully edited 90-minute episode.
"That is why this is happening. There was no extortion. There were zero threats from us. That’s all b******t. The 'evidence' provided showed one side of the story," he added, asserting that they did not commit any crime.
Mabanta also claimed that, ahead of their arrest, he was "privately warned" multiple times about concerns for their safety. He continued to say that he gave instructions to publish the exposé should anything fatal or injurious happen to him and his colleagues at PGMN.
Ties to Marcos, Duterte
Mabanta formerly served as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s social media strategist while the latter was still a senator.
However, Palace Press Office Claire Castro, in a press briefing, denied that Marcos and Mabanta had ties.
"Hindi po siya kaibigan ng pangulo," she said, suggesting to look into Mabanta's ties to the Duterte family.
"Ang nais naman po ng pangulo sa lahat ng pagkakataon, managot ang dapat managot. Kung meron po silang dapat panagutan, kung meron po silang ginawang krimen, dapat lang nilang 'tong panagutan, pero definitely, kailangan po ng due process sa lahat ng bagay," Castro said.
