Metro Manila, Philippines – The National Bureau of Investigation arrested Peanut Gallery Media Network (PGMN) founder Roberto Ma. Franco Cruz Mabanta and four others in an alleged ₱300-million robbery-extortion scheme involving former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
In a statement, the NBI-Organized and Transnational Crime Division (OTCD) said the arrests on the digital media startup were carried out during an entrapment operation on Tuesday, May 5, in connection with alleged robbery-extortion and violations of the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by Romualdez against Mabanta, who supposedly conspired with a number of people, including one of PGMN’s anchors identified as “CJ Hero.”
The NBI said Mabanta supposedly threatened through an intermediary to release online content supposedly linking Romualdez to corruption in the House of Representatives.
The bureau said Mabanta demanded ₱300 million in exchange for withholding the publication of the supposed exposé. The amount was to be paid in four tranches of ₱75 million each.
The NBI said part of the video material was supposedly sent to support the threat.
Authorities said an entrapment operation was conducted after arrangements were made for the delivery of the first tranche.
The NBI said Mabanta met undercover agents posing as representatives of Romualdez at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City around 5:30 p.m.
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,” later identified as Jardine Christian Serrano.
The bureau said Serrano and another suspect, Franco Jose Gallardo, received the money before bringing it to a function room where Mabanta and two others — identified as Ericson James Pacaba and John Alexander Vasquez Gomez — were waiting.
Authorities said they recovered the entrapment money and mobile phones used to coordinate the transaction.
The five suspects are now under NBI custody for booking, documentation, and inquest proceedings.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag said the bureau would continue pursuing people allegedly using digital platforms for criminal activities.
“Freedom of expression is protected by law, but it must never be used as a shield for extortion, intimidation, or criminal exploitation,” Matibag said.
“The NBI will relentlessly pursue those who weaponize digital platforms to threaten, harass, and unlawfully profit from others,” he added.
In a statement released after the arrests, PGMN denied the allegations.
“We are innocent. This was a setup,” the group said.
PGMN said it had spent months investigating alleged corruption involving Romualdez and was preparing to release a “90-minute exposé.”
“There was no extortion. There were ZERO threats from us,” the statement read.
The group said powerful people warned about threats to safety before the arrests.
Romualdez has yet to publicly respond to PGMN’s latest statement.
