Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Zyann Ambrosio

Chalssea Kate Echegoyen

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1778035070746viber_image_2026-05-06_07-31-17 (5).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has arrested social media personality Franco Mabanta for allegedly extorting money from a lawmaker.<em> 📷༘  Zyann Ambrosio, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA (<strong>UPDATE</strong>) – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested Tuesday social media personality Franco Mabanta for allegedly extorting money from a lawmaker.</p><p>Operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation–Organized and Transnational Crime Division (NBI-OTCD) arrested Mabanta and four others in an entrapment operation over an alleged P300-million robbery-extortion scheme, the agency said on Wednesday.</p><p>In a statement, the NBI identified Mabanta, founder and chairman of Peanut Gallery Media Network (PGMN) as the main suspect.</p><p>Four other individuals, namely Ericson James Pacaba, John Alexander Vasquez Gomez, Jardine Christian Requio Serrano, and Franco Jose Gallardo, were also arrested, according to the press release. </p><div>The NBI said Mabanta allegedly tried to extort P300 million from Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez in exchange for not releasing content on his platform linking the former Speaker to flood control anomalies.<span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><br/><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1778035083564viber_image_2026-05-06_07-31-17 (4).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><em>📷༘  Zyann Ambrosio, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>“It’s not extortion,” Mabanta told ABS-CBN News after his entrapment on Wednesday.</p><p> In a separate statement, PGMN denied the accusations and claimed the arrest was a “setup.”</p><p>“We are innocent. This was a setup,” the group said, adding that it had spent the past five months conducting “immense, comprehensive, painful research” into alleged corruption involving Romualdez.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WHAT WENT DOWN </strong></div><p>The case stemmed from a complaint filed by Romualdez, who accused Mabanta of orchestrating a scheme to extort money in exchange for withholding the release of damaging online content.</p><p>According to the NBI, Mabanta allegedly threatened, through an intermediary, to release content linking Romualdez to corruption in the House of Representatives.</p><p>In exchange for withholding the supposed exposé, Mabanta allegedly initially demanded P350 million then settled for P300 million, to be paid in four tranches of P75 million each.</p><p>Investigators said a portion of the alleged video material was sent to lend credibility to the threat.</p><p>Authorities then carried out an entrapment operation after arrangements were made for the delivery of the first P75-million tranche. </p><p>At around 5:30 p.m., Mabanta allegedly met with undercover agents posing as representatives of the complainant at a Makati hotel, where he allegedly reiterated his demand and instructed them to deliver the money to a certain “Jimmy” at a Pasig country club. </p><p>Serrano and Gallardo allegedly received the cash and brought it to a function room inside the club, where Mabanta, Pacaba, and Gomez were waiting. The arresting team then moved in and apprehended the suspects.</p><div><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div><div><strong>‘NO EXTORTION’ </strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F992817786518558%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span>PGMN, meanwhile, said it had already completed a 90-minute exposé containing what it described as “hard evidence” and was preparing it for release prior to arrest.</div><p>“There was no extortion. There were zero threats from us… The ‘evidence’  provided showed one side of the story. We committed no crime: and we can provide it,” the statement read.</p><p>PGMN further said its members had received warnings days before the arrest about possible threats to their safety.</p><p>It added that instructions had been given to release the full exposé across major social media platforms should anything happen to any member of the group.</p><p>“We at PGMN have always taken profound and sincere pride in going after the bad guys… If this is the price to pay to do what’s right, then so be it,” the statement said.</p><p>The suspects are now under the custody of the NBI-OTCD for inquest proceedings.</p><p>Marked money and mobile phones allegedly used to coordinate the transaction were recovered from the group. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IS NOT ‘SHIELD FOR EXTORTION’ </strong> </div><p>NBI Director Melvin Matibag said the bureau remains firm in pursuing individuals who allegedly exploit digital platforms for criminal activity.</p><p>“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 in a press release. </p>

<p>Franco Mabanta allegedly tried to extort P350 million from a lawmaker.</p>

Franco Mabanta allegedly tried to extort P350 million from a lawmaker.

Social media personality Franco Mabanta nabbed over alleged extortion attempt vs Martin Romualdez

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Social media personality Franco Mabanta nabbed over alleged extortion attempt vs Martin Romualdez

Zyann Ambrosio,

Chalssea Kate Echegoyen,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 06, 2026 08:09 AM PHT

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Updated May 07, 2026 04:34 AM PHT

Read More:

NBI

Franco Mabanata

extortion

Peanut Gallery Media Network

Martin Romualdez

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