ONLINE media figure and Peanut Gallery Media Network (PGMN) founder Franco Mabanta, together with four others charged alongside him, posted bail this Saturday for the crime of robbery with violence or intimidation of persons — a case filed by Leyte Representative and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
According to reports, the Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 167 issued a release order shortly after each of the five accused posted a bond amounting to ₱120,000. The court held special Saturday proceedings pursuant to a 2025 memorandum issued by the executive judge, allowing legal processes to move forward even outside regular workdays.
The charges stem from allegations that Mabanta and his associates attempted to extort ₱300 million from Romualdez. Authorities claim the group threatened to release a video purportedly linking the lawmaker to irregularities in flood control projects unless the demanded amount was paid. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) carried out an entrapment operation earlier this week that led to their arrest, followed by inquest proceedings conducted last Wednesday evening. The case falls under Article 294 of the Revised Penal Code, which covers robbery committed with the use of force, violence, or intimidation — a provision that carries serious criminal penalties upon conviction.
NBI spokesperson Palmer Mallari confirmed that the legal process has moved forward and the accused have been released pending trial. The development comes weeks after Romualdez’s camp maintained that the issue is purely a criminal matter and has nothing to do with press freedom or the right to criticize public officials. In earlier statements, Atty. Elaine Atienza, Romualdez’s spokesperson, emphasized that using information as leverage to demand money is not journalism, but extortion, and insisted that the case will be decided based on facts, evidence, and the rule of law.
Mabanta has consistently denied the accusations, describing the entrapment operation as a “setup” intended to silence him and his network. He asserted that he and his colleagues are prepared to prove their innocence in court and maintained that their activities are part of legitimate media work and public accountability. With the accused now out on bail, the case is set to proceed to trial, where both sides will present their evidence and arguments to determine whether the alleged attempt to extort millions of pesos actually took place.
