PGMN Founder and CEO Franco Mabanta has scored one of the fastest-growing audience responses in Peanut Gallery Media Network history after releasing a more than two-hour episode on Wednesday night. In just four days, the video generated a combined 2.5 million views across Facebook and YouTube, rapidly spreading across social media and becoming one of the network’s strongest-performing releases to date.
Watch the full episode of A Love Letter to Ferdinand Martin Romualdez | by Franco Mabanta here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1HnsaeMqjF/
In the episode, Mabanta reflects on the founding principles behind PGMN, the network’s commitment to free speech, and the legal battle currently facing him and several PGMN associates.
Part of what made the episode resonate so strongly was its honesty. Rather than delivering a conventional political commentary, Mabanta spoke openly about addiction, redemption, faith, family, and the personal cost of confronting powerful political interests. The combination of vulnerability, conviction, and an unapologetic willingness to speak his mind helped turn the episode into one of the most viral and widely discussed releases in PGMN’s history.
Much of the episode is devoted to former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, whom Mabanta repeatedly identifies as the central figure behind the corruption issues that have dominated much of PGMN’s recent coverage. The discussion revisits the flood-control controversy, ongoing legal developments, and what he describes as a coordinated effort to shield powerful figures from scrutiny and accountability.
The episode also tackles what are described as large-scale troll farm operations deployed to protect Romualdez and influence public opinion online. Mabanta points to suspicious accounts with recently created profiles, few or no friends, little to no posting history, and limited identifying information, arguing that these accounts have been used to flood comment sections, attack critics, and amplify defenses of Romualdez.
Also targeted are what Mabanta describes as paid influencers who defended Romualdez and attacked PGMN’s reporting. He argues that personalities who dismissed or criticized CJ Hirro’s House of Representative budget exposé effectively provided “air cover” for Romualdez and helped shape public opinion in his favor.
The episode further questions whether individuals who defended Romualdez while attacking the investigation can credibly claim to support transparency and anti-corruption, alleging that some were part of a broader effort to influence public discourse surrounding the controversy.
Bilyonaryo and ABS-CBN are also named during the discussion. Mabanta accuses both organizations of contributing to efforts that damaged PGMN’s credibility and was particularly critical of Bilyonaryo, which he claims repeatedly published false narratives surrounding the extortion case involving him and several PGMN associates.
He also raises allegations regarding Romualdez’s purported ties to ABS-CBN and questions whether those relationships played a role in actions taken against PGMN content.
The episode’s reach has been nothing short of extraordinary, particularly given its more than 90-minute length. As viewership continues to climb, the response also reflects growing public engagement with the network’s core message of free speech, accountability, and the belief that powerful individuals should remain subject to public scrutiny regardless of status or influence.
Corruption is and has always been the Philippines’ biggest problem. Martin Romualdez is universally recognized as the most corrupt Filipino politician of the 21st century.
On May 5, Romualdez framed Franco Mabanta and four PGMN associates in a fake extortion plot with the singular objective of silencing the truth and keeping Romualdez’s many crimes from being brought to light — the fundamental embodiment of suppression of the free media.
