The Constitution protects speech. It does not immunize extortion. That distinction is at the heart of the controversy surrounding the arrest of Peanut Gallery Media Network (PGMN) founder Frank Mabanta and his group over an alleged extortion attempt involving former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Predictably, the arrests have been reframed by allies and sympathetic lawyers as a political setup, an assault on press freedom, and even “state-sponsored violence against the media,” as argued by lawyer Olive Oliva. But that argument collapses under the weight of basic constitutional logic. Mabanta was not arrested for publishing an exposé. He was not detained for criticizing the government. He was not charged with libel, sedition, cybercrime, or any speech-related offense. Authorities allege that he and...