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Social media personality Franco Mabanta arrested over alleged extortion

By AYIE LICSI
Published May 06, 2026 9:00 am
Franco Mabanta / Facebook

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.

A report from ABS-CBN News said Mabanta and four others were arrested during an entrapment operation. The Peanut Gallery Media Network founder and CEO allegedly attempted to extort P350 million from a lawmaker.

Mabanta formerly served as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s social media strategist while the latter was still a senator.

This is a developing story. 

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TAGS: NBI extortion Martin Romualdez franco mabanta

About the author

AYIE LICSI

Associate Editor

Ayie is a self-confessed nerd with a love for all things tech, film, and queer culture. When she's not writing, she's watching pop culture explainers on YouTube and spoiling her unusually tall pug.