A Pasig City court has granted the National Bureau of Investigation's (NBI) request to examine the gadgets of Peanut Gallery Media Network (PGMN) founder Franco Mabanta and several others who were accused of trying to extort former House Speaker and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez.
Court Issues Cyber Warrant
The Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 71 issued a cyber warrant against Mabanta and his associates. The order allows the NBI Digital Forensics Laboratory to examine the contents of the mobile devices, including call logs, text messages, chat messages, electronic communications, and other related computer data pertaining to the alleged extortion activities of the accused, limited to the period from April 25 to May 5, 2026.
Details of the Arrest
Mabanta and four others, identified as PGMN Finance Officer Ericson James Pacaba, incorporator John Alexander Vasquez Gomez, and employees Jardine Christian Requio Serrano and Franco Jose Gallardo, were arrested in an entrapment operation conducted by the NBI on May 5. They were accused of demanding P350 million from Romualdez using a five-part exposé video that would pin the lawmaker in the flood control mess through his social media network as leverage.
Charges of robbery extortion in relation to cybercrime were filed against the arrested suspects. Mabanta, who vehemently denied the accusations, tagging his arrest as a "setup," was released on bail on May 9 along with his associates.
