06/05/2026
"The NBI has arrested Peanut Gallery Media Network founder Franco Mabanta in an entrapment operation after allegedly attempting to extort former Speaker Martin Romualdez for hundreds of millions of pesos. Authorities say Mabanta threatened to release damaging videos unless Romualdez paid up."
Do you think this arrest marks a turning point in how we view the credibility and accountability of online political influencers?
📍 Read the full story here: https://www.diskurso.ph/news/2026/05/06/nbi-busts-pgmn-founder-franco-mabanta-in-350m-extortion-sting-vs-romualdez
The NBI has arrested Peanut Gallery Media Network founder Franco Mabanta in an entrapment operation after allegedly attempting to extort former Speaker Martin Romualdez for hundreds of millions of pesos. Authorities say Mabanta threatened to release damaging videos unless Romualdez paid up.