The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) announced on Wednesday the arrest of online media network personality Franco Mabanta following a supposed extortion attempt targeting former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez.
According to NBI Director Melvin Matibag, Mabanta was apprehended during a structured entrapment operation.
The suspect had supposedly claimed to be in possession of video recordings that link Romualdez to an ongoing flood control scandal.
Operating on this claim, Mabanta allegedly coerced the lawmaker into paying ₱350 million, threatening to publish the footage across the Peanut Gallery Media Network—a digital platform he established—if the demand was not met.
Law enforcement authorities moved in to arrest the suspect immediately after he accepted ₱300 million in marked money during the sting operation.
The NBI stated that a press conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Wednesday to provide additional details and updates surrounding the apprehension.