The count has now reached a wild total of 2,042 posts on the corruption of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, generating exactly 229,641,590 views across the five major social platforms in just 11 weeks—making Peanut Gallery Media Network vs. Martin Romualdez the most viral anti-corruption campaign against a single person in the history of Philippine social media.
The campaign began on June 20 under PGMN Founder and CEO Franco Mabanta, who chose to immediately return to work after being released on bail in May over a case involving a crime he did not commit. Under his direction, PGMN’s war against Martin Romualdez has since grown into a sustained stream of reports, videos, explainers, graphics, commentaries, public records, and legal updates examining Romualdez’s political record and the corruption allegations surrounding him.
Romualdez is confronting complaints and allegations involving plunder, direct and indirect bribery, violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and money laundering, including accusations tied to billions of pesos in alleged kickbacks and questionable transactions connected to flood-control projects and related fund movements.
Political pressure has intensified as well. President Bongbong Marcos, in his latest State of the Nation Address, announced that multiple cases involving the disgraced former Speaker were nearing filing and made clear that family ties would not shield anyone from accountability.
The flood-control scandal has drawn outrage across political lines, with lawmakers demanding prosecution, imprisonment, and the recovery of public funds from those ultimately proven responsible. Public anger has also reached the point where groups such as the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption have called for the return of the death penalty for plunderers.
Romualdez has meanwhile filed more than 80 counts and lawsuits against PGMN and individuals connected to its coverage. PGMN views the volume of litigation as a desperate attempt to exhaust the organization, intimidate its journalists, and force the network into silence as the former Speaker faces mounting political and legal pressure.
Romualdez has also accused Mabanta of being “out to destroy” him, arguing that PGMN’s continued coverage had gone beyond reporting and had become a deliberate effort to damage his reputation.
Mabanta answered the accusation directly:
“No, Martin. You destroyed yourself. You did this to yourself.”
PGMN Anchor Cj Hirro has likewise disclosed the threats she has received while continuing to pursue stories involving powerful political figures.
“Ang daming threats, especially when we were working on the episode. Pagdating sa mga pulitiko, palaging may threat, palaging may nakakatakot. And every day, I’m thankful that I get to go home to her.”
Despite the lawsuits, threats, coordinated attacks, and attempts to discredit the organization, PGMN has remained defiant. The network continues to expose Romualdez as the most corrupt Filipino politician of the 21st century while tracking the investigations, complaints, and legal proceedings surrounding him.
At 230 million views across 2,042 posts in 11 weeks, Mabanta’s campaign has turned the war against Romualdez into a sustained national media operation with a reach incomparable to any anti-corruption drive the Philippines has ever seen.
PGMN remains committed to continuing the coverage until the allegations against Romualdez are fully confronted, accountability is pursued, and justice is served.
By every conceivable metric, it is looking increasingly likely that the Office of the Ombudsman will soon file charges against Romualdez that could finally land him in jail.
