Cavite 4th District Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga has cleared his Facebook page of photos flagged by the House ethics panel, complying with the chamber’s directive a day after legislators voted to suspend him for 60 days. By Tuesday night, none of the 24 posts cited in the complaint — previously catalogued as Exhibits A-1 to A-24 — could be accessed through the hyperlinks listed in the committee report.
Lawmakers had moved swiftly a day earlier, adopting the ethics committee’s recommendation with 249 votes in favor, five against, and 11 abstentions. The penalty bars Barzaga from receiving salaries and allowances throughout the suspension period.
During the session, 4Ps party-list Rep. JC Abalos, who heads the committee on ethics and privileges, emphasized that the images uploaded by Barzaga, which included lewd material and what complainants described as displays of wealth, fell short of the standards expected of legislators. Abalos described the behavior as conduct “unbefitting of a House member.”
He also spelled out the sanctions approved by the panel. “(The committee) recommends the penalty of 60 day suspension from office without the benefit of salaries and allowances during the period of suspension, with a stern warning that repetition of similar misconduct will result to a more severe disciplinary action,” Abalos said.
“In addition Mr. Speaker, the committee recommends that the respondent Barzaga be directed to remove all 24 social media posts subject of this case within 24 hours from adoption of this report in the plenary,” he added. Abalos noted that heavier penalties could follow if the lawmaker ignored the directive.
The complaint against Barzaga originated from several members of the National Unity Party, led by Antipolo City 1st District Rep. Ronaldo Puno. They accused the Cavite lawmaker of violating ethical rules intended to guide the behavior of House members, pointing to multiple online posts that allegedly breached standards of morality and decorum.
Puno, who discussed the matter in a press briefing on September 15, highlighted the inclusion of lewd images and a purportedly ostentatious display of affluence as part of the evidence. One of the photos presented showed a scantily clad woman with her legs wrapped around Barzaga’s neck.
The complainants argued that Barzaga committed several offenses, including failure to act in a way that reflects creditably on the House, engaging in acts contrary to law and good morals, inciting seditious behavior, and conduct deemed prejudicial to the service and unbecoming of a member of Congress.
Puno stressed that the initiative was unrelated to Barzaga’s political views, saying they filed the case because certain posts carried misleading implications that appeared to trivialize matters concerning the House.
