MEMBERS of the National Unity Party (NUP) yesterday vowed to initiate a case before the House committee on ethics against Cavite Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga Jr. for his “disparaging” remarks against the House of Representatives and the Marcos administration on social media.
Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno of Antipolo City said while the 27-year-old Barzaga, a son of the late Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr., is obviously “unwell,” the House “can’t allow such acts to go unchecked.”
“If you are not (of sound mind), you should not be in Congress,” said Puno, chair of the NUP, the party from which the younger Barzaga resigned last week after he was allegedly accused of soliciting signatures to oust Speaker Martin Romualdez. “Para sa akin (To me), something’s not right. Pero hindi ako doctor no (But I’m not doctor).”
Just yesterday, Puno said, Rep. Barzaga, a known supporter of Vice President Sara Duterte, “stormed” the Office of Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos to campaign for his speakership bid.
“He (Rep. Barzaga) said, ‘Everybody, sit down. I want to tell you of my plans, of what I want to do in Congress,” Puno quoted Barzaga as telling the presidential son. “I am running for Speaker (and) If you will support me, I will make you Deputy Speaker.”
Puno said the President’s son was caught by surprise, “but being the gentleman that he is, he just let it go.” “Then sa session, umiikot, (then during the session, he went around) campaigning to be Speaker, saying he is going to declare all seats vacant.”
“For us who were there, iyong ginagawa ay wala sa lugar, hindi dapat sa mga congressman. It is not appropriate,” Puno said.
Puno said that while it pains him and his fellow NUP members since Rep. Barzaga’s late father used to be the president of their party, they have decided to act to discipline the neophyte lawmaker since even his own mother, Dasmariñas City Mayor Jenny Barzaga, has said that “she cannot handle her son.”
“We wish we didn’t have to do it,” he said. “Family is the strongest bond we have in this world, so if a mother can’t deal with his son, tayo (we’ll) help her deal with her son so maybe he’ll be taught to be more sensible.”
Puno said the NUP will not be filing the ethics complaint to seek culpability but for violations of the Code of Conduct of a public official, especially a Member of the House like him who also posts photos of bundles of cash to brag.
He said Rep. Barzaga indiscriminately posts allegations of graft and corruption and insulting remarks against Speaker Martin Romualdez, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and even Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson Sr.
Puno said even Cabinet like Secretaries Vince Dizon of public works, Jesus Crispin Remulla of justice and his brother Jonvic Remulla of interior and local government and Gilbert Teodoro of defense were targeted by the younger Barzaga in his posts.
He warned of potential violations of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), especially inciting to sedition because of her posts that appear to urge the public to burn Congress down, like what happened in Nepal.
Puno, who showed the media some of Rep. Barzaga’s Facebook posts, also slammed the young lawmaker for “displaying obscene and abusive content” because of posts that degrade women, such as skimpily clad girls, one of whom had her legs wrapped around the congressman’s neck.
“Others say, ‘Kung sinasabi nya puro magnanakaw dito bakit di siya mag resign? (If he’s saying all of us here are thieves, why doesn’t he resign?” he said. “I know he is not well, but he’s well enough to write these materials (on social media).”
