MANILA — Malacañang on Wednesday sought to distance President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. from embattled online media network founder Franco Mabanta after the latter’s arrest in an alleged multi-million-peso extortion scheme, despite the existence of photos and videos showing the two together during the 2022 election campaign and other occasions.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro denied claims that Mabanta was a close friend of the President, while shifting attention to Mabanta’s alleged links with the Duterte family and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.
“Hindi po siya kaibigan ng Pangulo pero siguro mas nanaisin ko po kung ito po ang inyong itatanong dahil ito po ay mismong pinost ni Franco Mabanta – baka ito po ang itanong ninyo kung ano po ang relasyon niya sa mga Duterte. Nandiyan pa nga po si Harry Roque,” Castro said.
Castro presented photos showing Mabanta with former President Rodrigo Duterte, Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, and Roque to support her statement.
However, Mabanta’s own Facebook posts showed multiple photos and videos linking him to the Marcos family, including a photo with President Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, as well as images with the late former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.
One video also showed the Marcos family hosting a surprise birthday celebration for Mabanta, while another featured Mabanta interviewing Marcos before the 2022 national elections.
Mabanta previously served as social media director of President Marcos during the campaign period.
The controversy erupted after Mabanta and four others were arrested in an entrapment operation tied to an alleged extortion attempt involving former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez.
According to the National Bureau of Investigation, the suspects allegedly demanded hundreds of millions of pesos from Romualdez in exchange for withholding the release of videos supposedly damaging to his reputation.
Investigators said negotiations allegedly began about a year ago before resurfacing two weeks ago. Authorities claimed the demand initially reached P350 million before it was supposedly lowered to P300 million.
The NBI added that the main suspect allegedly avoided personally receiving the money during the operation, but agents were reportedly surprised when Mabanta appeared at the entrapment site in Pasig City./PN
