This was the message that Atty. Elaine Atienza, spokesperson of Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, emphasized concerning Peanut Gallery Media Network (PGMN) supposed expose on the congressman.
Atienza explained that Romualdez did what he deemed was necessary in reporting the case to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to act on the threats that he was faced with.
Based on the reports of the incident, PGMN had supposedly requested P350 million from the solon in exchange for not releasing a supposed video that it had linking him to the multibillion peso flood control scandal.
For her part, the lawyer expressed that if the media organization truly had the intention to expose corruption, they should have provided it to the proper authorities.
She also questioned the use of the supposed video as leverage, particularly with PGMN’s claim that the record has been ready for several weeks.
“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,” her statement read.
Franco Mabanta, owner of the network, claimed through a Facebook post that the arrest was a setup from the part of Romualdez to silence their expose.
Mabanta maintained that they were innocent, noting that their only motive was to go after the “bad guys” in the country and that no extortion ever took place.
In response, Atienza said that they would leave it to the facts of the case to determine the guilt of the PGMN instead of engaging in an exchange of narratives online.
“Ultimately, this case will be decided by facts, evidence, and the rule of law – not by competing narratives on social media,” the lawyer said.
“Such conduct undermines legitimate journalism and damages public trust in genuine media institutions,” it added.