NBI files ethics complaint vs. Kiko Barzaga

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Tuesday filed an ethics complaint against Cavite Fourth District Representative Francisco "Kiko" Barzaga over his alleged statements that NBI agents were deployed to assassinate senators.

NBI Director Melvin Matibag filed the complaint on behalf of the NBI with the office of House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil in the House of Representatives.

"During the time [of the Senate shooting], that there is this shooting incident in the Senate. He said things which are offensive to the NBI. He said there was a shootout. I am filing this on behalf of the NBI," Matibag said.

"It was validated. He did it on his account. He's somehow accusing the members of the NBI of entering the Senate for an assassination attempt against the Senators," Matibag added.

Matibag was referring to the May 13 shooting incident wherein suspended Acting Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca and members of the Senate security exchanged gunshots with NBI agents.

At the time, Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa was under Senate protective custody amid a pending arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in relation to Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.

"He (Barzaga) was already suspended [by the House prior] and I think based on the rules ng House, he already had an infraction," Matibag said.

"There's already a warning against him. He should refrain from doing such things. Apart from this, we are contemplating on filing criminal charges," Matibag added.

GMA News Online has reached out to Barzaga for comment, but he has yet to respond as of posting time.

Possible expulsion

House Deputy Speaker and Iloilo First District Representative Janette Garin earlier said Barzaga is likely to face expulsion from the House of Representatives due to repeated failure to show proper decorum and perform his duty as a member of the House.

Garin made the disclosure after the April House ethics panel hearing on multiple complaints against Barzaga, including a complaint filed by Garin over Barzaga's comments linking Garin and House Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo Third District Representative Lorenz Defensor to the death of Dueñas, Iloilo vice mayor Aimee Paz Lamasan, who died when her firearm accidentally fired.

"The usual practice is suspension, suspension, then expulsion. And others were saying, maybe he should be allowed to undergo medical exam first, but that [matter] is internal to their family, and we don't want to go into that direction," Garin told reporters, adding that Barzaga never expressed remorse for his actions.

"The situation of Congressman Barzaga is [a case of] repeated [offenses]. There's the one alluding the NUP [linking them to corruption], then alluding to one of the business tycoons [also in reference of corruption]. And then he takes those statements back. But it does not stop there. In Iloilo, when one of the vice mayors died due to accidental firing, out of nowhere, he pointed to Congressman Defensor and myself. There's also his usual decorum in the House na may pag-uusapan, bigla siyang mangugulo, bigla siyang mag-live chat, biglang magpo-poke ng mga cellphone (There's also his usual decorum in the House, when there's something to be discussed, he becomes unruly, he suddenly launches a live chat, and pokes cellphones), " Garin added. — VDV, GMA News