The Manila Times
PEANUT Gallery Media Network (PGMN) founder Franco Mabanta and four other people could post bail as early as Friday, May 8, according to their legal counsel, even as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) continues its probe into an alleged extortion scheme linked to a complaint filed by former House speaker Martin Romualdez. Lawyer Bernice Rodriguez said arrangements for the posting of bail were already underway, with the legal team set to file the necessary pleadings within the day. She said they were completing the requirements so the bail process could proceed either on Friday or the following day. “We will file the necessary pleadings in the morning, and hopefully, this will all be over soon,” Rodriguez said, adding that bail would “most likely” be processed within the day or shortly after. She declined to disclose the amount of bail being prepared for Mabanta and the four others. Rodriguez said her clients remained in stable condition while under NBI custody, but they were exhausted after a long day of processing and the movement of personal belongings. Despite this, she said they were being kept informed of legal developments. “They’re very good. They’re just really tired... but they’re okay, and we constantly update them on the legal proceedings and the strategies that we have,” she said. The lawyer also addressed circulating claims and a video allegedly involving an NBI agent and Mabanta, insisting that the defense team would respond to the matter in court filings. She firmly rejected allegations of any wrongdoing. “There was no extortion. There was no extortion, there was no crime that was committed,” Rodriguez said. Rodriguez further clarified that PGMN anchor CJ Hirro had not been formally drawn into the case as a respondent, saying the legal team had not received any subpoena or official notice from authorities. “We didn’t get anything. There was no official subpoena, no document was given to us,” she said, adding that they had been at the NBI premises throughout Thursday and would have been served any relevant documents if they existed. The development came amid scrutiny over the NBI’s investigation into the alleged attempt by Mabanta and others to extort up to P350 million in exchange for not releasing an alleged exposé video linking Romualdez to corruption in the House of Representatives. NBI Director Melvin Matibag earlier said Hirro had been identified as a person of interest based on the complainant’s affidavit and was seen in a video clip referenced in the case, prompting plans to summon her and apply for a cyber warrant to examine seized electronic devices. Matibag also said the bureau was looking into possible participation of other PGMN members as part of a broader probe into the alleged scheme. However, the case has drawn sharp criticism from legal and media observers. International law expert Melissa Loja on Friday warned that the NBI’s actions amounted to an attack on press freedom, arguing that the inclusion of a PGMN anchor in the complaint reflected an effort to suppress critical reporting. “Targeting an anchor, who happens to be ‘anchoring’ the documentary against Romualdez is targeting press freedom,” Loja told The Manila Times, adding that the move appeared intended to prevent the release of the alleged documentary. Loja also questioned the scope of the proposed cyber warrant, cautioning that it should not extend to journalistic material itself. “The cyber warrant should not include the documentary itself. Questioning the documentary itself is attacking the speech content already,” she said. FRANCO JOSE BAROÑA She further accused the NBI leadership of using the bureau to silence dissent, claiming that Director Matibag was “weaponizing the NBI” against critics of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Loja also raised doubts about the strength of the agency’s entrapment narrative, citing the absence of publicly released CCTV footage and questioning inconsistencies in available video evidence. “This makes the ‘entrapment’ story even more doubtful, especially as the CCTV cameras in the function room have not been made public,” she said, adding that only such footage could clarify key details of the operation. She also described the NBI-released videos as unreliable due to distorted audio. As legal proceedings move forward, both the defense and critics of the investigation have raised competing claims over the legitimacy of the evidence and the broader implications of the case for press freedom and law enforcement conduct.
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