Carissa Garcia, daughter of former Cebu governor Gwendolyn F. Garcia and a former 2025 party-list nominee, has denied online claims linking her to an alleged P2-million monthly financial arrangement involving Peanut Gallery Media Network (PGMN), calling the accusations false and baseless.
The allegations circulated on social media posts claiming Garcia was allegedly financing the operations of PGMN, a political commentary platform known for its outspoken political content.
In a statement, Garcia rejected the accusations and said she has never supported any activity related to misinformation or coordinated online attacks.
“The allegations circulating online are false and baseless,” Garcia said.
She added that she does not support operations intended to spread disinformation or attack individuals online.
Garcia also urged the public to exercise caution in consuming and sharing unverified information amid the rapid spread of social media claims.
“I encourage the public to be discerning and responsible in consuming and sharing information online,” she said.
The allegations stemmed from unverified online posts claiming she provided financial support for content production and alleged “fake news” activities.
No official documents or publicly verified evidence have been presented to support the claims.
PGMN also denied the accusations, describing them as fabricated and warning of possible legal action against individuals and pages that circulated the posts.
In a statement, the network said founder Franco Mabanta maintains a personal friendship with members of the Garcia family, but denied any financial arrangement linked to political content or misinformation.
“These are NOT TRUE. The Garcias are Franco Mabanta’s real friends, but there was absolutely no money given by them to spread fake news,” the network said.
PGMN said its legal team is evaluating possible complaints against several social media pages it identified as spreading the allegations.
The group also raised concerns over what it described as attempts to discredit independent media platforms through unverified claims and online narratives.
It warned the public against immediately accepting screenshots, images, or digital content circulating online without proper verification or legal authentication.
PGMN legal counsel Atty. Bernice Joana Piñol-Rodriguez said any alleged digital evidence should be backed by appropriate court documentation before being treated as credible evidence.
Before entering political communications, Mabanta worked in the entertainment industry as a video jockey before later becoming active in political campaigning.
He later became known for his political commentary work and co-founded PGMN in 2024, which has since grown its following across major social media platforms.
File photo: Carissa Garcia / Facebook
Comments