PGMN’s ongoing war against Martin Romualdez may now be the most viral political corruption exposé in Philippine social media history.
Forty days after Peanut Gallery Media Network declared war against former House Speaker Romualdez, its coverage has generated more than 102.4 million views from 838 posts across Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and X —numbers that may now make it the most viral political corruption exposé ever mounted on Philippine social media.
Since June 20, PGMN has sustained an aggressive reporting campaign examining Romualdez’s wildly controversial political record, the breathtaking scandals surrounding his leadership, and the superabundance of revolting allegations raised against him during his tenure as Speaker of the House.
Other media organizations have done a tremendous job covering the unprecedented magnitude of Martin Romualdez’ corruption.
No company has done finer work than Rappler at exposing Romualdez’ hidden real estate, both domestically and abroad.
No company has been more prolific than Bilyonaryo in breaking down the web of suspicious corporate records that has allowed the Romualdez syndicate to operate at scale over the recent years.
And SMNI has been both consistent and honorable in their coverage of the Romualdez dynasty.
But in exposing Romualdez, no media company in the Philippines has been more quantifiably viral over the last month and a half than PGMN. The Peanut Gallery has been relentless in its investigation, reporting and commentary.
The effort has grown into a truly unprecedented digital accountability campaign, driven by a continuous stream of news reports, explainers, videos, reels and shorts, graphics, public records, documented testimonials, and commentary focusing on allegations of corruption, abuse of power, political influence and failures involving the former Speaker.
Generating more than 100++ million views in only 40 days, the campaign reflects the intense public interest against the humanity of Romualdez and his allies—and the increasing demand for accountability from the man who was once upon a time the most powerful politician in the country.
But as PGMN’s audience continued to grow, so did the resistance. The network says it uncovered a coordinated online operation linked to Romualdez’s camp that attempted to flood comment sections, shape public discourse, undermine PGMN’s credibility, and create the preposterous (and cute) illusion of broad public support for the former Speaker.
At the same time, PGMN has been hit with multiple lawsuits filed by Romualdez against the network, its anchors and others involved in its reporting, including over its use of terms such as “buwaya,” “Martin Looter King” and “plunderer,” even though the Office of the Ombudsman had publicly described Romualdez as a “master plunderer.”
PGMN maintains that the volume and timing of the complaints amount to a campaign of legal harassment designed to drain the organization’s resources, intimidate its journalists and pressure the network into silence. Romualdez’s repeated resort to litigation demonstrates the impact of its reporting. The lawsuits have become part of the story, reflecting an escalating effort to stop its coverage. Romualdez even resorted to throwing PGMN’s brave leader Franco Mabanta in jail—a case Mabanta is determined to win.
Despite the lawsuits, threats, coordinated online attacks, and repeated attempts to discredit the organization, PGMN’s resolve remains unwavering. It remains committed to courageously documenting the public record, pursuing the truth and demanding accountability in a manner that would make God proud.
Corruption is and has always been the biggest problem of the Philippines. Martin Romualdez is universally recognized as the single most corrupt Filipino politician of the 21st century
