House suspends Barzaga for another 60 days

The House of Representatives has imposed an additional 60-day suspension without pay and other allowances against Cavite 4th District Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga.

On Wednesday, the House plenary voted 238-10-9 to approve the recommendation of the House ethics panel to impose additional sanctions on Barzaga for his continued “utter contempt for institutional standards” during his suspension period from December 1, 2025 to January 30, 2026.

GMA News Online is reaching out to Barzaga for comment on the new sanctions against him and will post his comment once available.

House ethics panel chairperson JC Abalos of 4Ps party-list said these contemptuous acts by Barzaga include: 

• Barzaga’s social media posts that accused port tycoon Enrique Razon of allegedly bribing lawmakers of the National Unity Party (NUP) to vote for then Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez; and
• Barzaga’s remarks that the late Antipolo City 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop, who died in December 2025, is now “suffering through eternal damnation” due to alleged involvement in anomalous flood control projects, that Acop “left the comfort of his luxurious mansion in exchange for a bit of eternal hellfire,” and that such “is the fate of all corrupt politicians.”  

“After a thorough deliberation on the case, the committee finds that Respondent Barzaga of the 4th District of Cavite committed repeated escalating misconduct during the period of his suspension from office during December 1, 2025 to January 30, 2026, which reflected negatively upon the dignity, integrity, and reputation of the House of Representatives as an institution and of the members of the House and recommends the imposition of another penalty of suspension from office for 60 days without the benefit of salaries and allowances,” Abalos said.

“The malicious commentaries made against his colleagues are indeed conduct incompatible with the dignity expected of a legislator, even using his social media account with his official title, Congressman. We find it scornful and disparage the name of the dead, especially a colleague who cannot defend his name and honor before a large audience as Representative Barzaga now has. The imposition of the penalty carries with it a stern warning that a repetition of another misconduct would warrant a more severe disciplinary action including expulsion from office,” he added.

Abalos said Barzaga’s willful absence during the House ethics panel deliberations on his actions during his suspension doomed the Cavite lawmaker’s cause.

“The committee afforded Representative Barzaga the opportunity to present his defense and to present evidence to the contrary. He was duly notified of the hearing and was furnished with copies of the allegations against him. He, however, chose to completely ignore the directive of the committee. The committee has, in fact, took note of Representative Barzaga’s social media post circulating online, which proves that he is aware of the subsequent allegations against him,” Abalos said.

“Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, Representative Barzaga declared that he will not be attending the ethics hearing and had the audacity to post, ‘I will be ignoring the summons of the ethics committee, and expel me if they want, but the Philippine Congress has done nothing but destroy the lives of the Filipino people.’ Madam Speaker, the committee condemns Rep. Barzaga's brazen disrespect for its authority,” he added.

Barzaga, who was present during the House plenary on Wednesday, voted no on the motion to impose an additional 60-day suspension against him. 

After he was slapped with an additional suspension, Barzaga told reporters that the penalty was merely a distraction from the investigation into alleged irregularities in flood control projects, adding that the House ethics panel was unfair to him from the outset.

“This is still pushing the issue away from the flood control [mess], which is what we should be prioritizing… as well as the rampant corruption that we see within the government right now,” Barzaga said.

He added that attending the House Committee on Ethics proceedings would not have changed the outcome, describing the process as one-sided.

“It would have been the same result whether or not I attended the House Committee on Ethics. It’s one-sided. First, it is not similar to a court hearing where journalists are allowed to listen to the proceedings. It is not an impartial hearing,” Barzaga said, referring to the closed-door deliberations of the panel.

Barzaga also said he has no regrets over his actions.

“If I were to regret it, then I would not have said it in the first place. Every congressman must be investigated for their involvement, since this (not only implicates) one congressman but the House as a whole,” he said.

Asked whether he would be more cautious with his social media posts moving forward, Barzaga replied, “You can’t really rely on a politician’s promises, but we’ll see in my next actions over the next two months.”

In the meantime, Barzaga said he plans to spend his second suspension at home with his pets.

“I’ll play with my cats and dogs,” he said.

On Wednesday, four lawmakers allied with former President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday expressed opposition to additional sanctions against Barzaga, saying further punishment is tantamount to issuing a gag order on the latter's constitutional right to freedom of speech. — JMA/MCG, GMA Integrated News