“Nothing new.”
This was the reaction of some Filipinos, including Greco Belgica, an anchor of the Peanut Gallery Media Network (PGMN), in response to a video that the network founder claimed would link former House Speaker Martin Romualdez (1st District, Leyte) to corruption.
PGMN founder Franco Mabanta made headlines last week after being arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for alleged extortion of P350 million from Romualdez.
Authorities said Mabanta allegedly threatened to release a video linking Romualdez to alleged irregularities in flood control projects if his demands were not met by May 5, the same day he was arrested.
He was later released on bail on May 9 after posting P120,000.
The following day, the PGMN released an almost two-hour-long video titled “The Scandal That Should Finally END Martin Romualdez.”
The network said it was the episode the public had “been waiting for.”
However, the video drew a mixed response from some Filipinos, including a lawmaker, who said it did not present any new information.
“Walang kwenta ‘yung ‘Pasabog’ ng PGMN!! Pinagtagpi-tagpi galing mainstream media. Kala ko pa naman may resibo sila talaga. Exaggerated lang yung CJ para kunyari expose talaga, pero wala naman talagang pasabog na bago!” an online user wrote.
“That PGMN video basically stole the painstaking work of legit investigative journalists and packaged it as an AI-infused sensationalist pile of garbage,” creative director Gerry Cacanindin commented.
Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo (Fourth District) described PGMN’s video as a “washed-up” effort, saying it contained nothing new.
“Walang bago, puro paninira pa rin, alam na ng tao ‘yan, matagal na. Sorry, pero hindi worth P350 million ‘yung video niyo… Lalo lang pinalabas niyo na pang-extort ‘yung video…” he wrote in a Facebook post.
“Sorry, pero MAS MALAKAS ‘yung ebidensya na nag-EXTORT kayo ng pera kesa sa pinalabas niyong video…” Rillo added.
Belgica, an anchor at the network, also said he had not seen any “smoking gun,” referring to evidence that serves as undeniable proof of wrongdoing.
He said he had watched about 60 minutes of the video, describing it as a “clear compilation” of news reports and interviews from other networks.
“It’s basically that. Wala pa akong nakitang hindi ko pa alam o hindi pa alam ng publiko doon sa napanood ko sa 60 minutes,” Belgica said in an interview.
Mabanta, through PGMN, previously claimed that the entrapment operation against him was “setup,” adding that the video was “packed with hard evidence.”
He also blamed Romualdez for his arrest, alleging that the lawmaker acted to supposedly “silence” them.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker’s camp said PGMN was “twisting the narrative.”
“Ang isyu dito ay hindi tungkol sa malayang pamamahayag. Lalong hindi ito tungkol sa karapatan ng sinuman na punahin ang gobyerno. Ang tunay na tanong: may humingi ba ng pera kapalit ng katahimikan?” Elaine Atienza, Romualdez’s spokesperson, previously said.
“If anyone believes he has evidence of wrongdoing by public officials, the proper course is simple: Release it, submit it to the authorities, and let the proper institutions act on it — not use it as leverage in exchange for money,” she added.
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