Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson believes that Cavite 4th District Representative Kiko Barzaga is being used by certain groups for their own political interests.
This came after Barzaga allegedly spread a photo showing Lacson with couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya, which Lacson described as maliciously circulated.
Lacson questioned the intent behind the photo, asking: what was wrong if the Discasya couple had a picture with him, especially since they were not close, not standing side by side, and there was no sign of familiarity in the photo?
According to Lacson, the couple once invited him to a grand rally during the 2025 election campaign, but he declined the invitation because their opponent at the time was Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto—nephew of his friend, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.
The senator insisted there was clear malice in the photo’s circulation, stressing that Barzaga was being used, as it was he who posted it—and that it would not have spread without a deliberate leak.
In a separate post on X, Lacson expressed sympathy for Dasmariñas City Mayor Jenny Barzaga, mother of the congressman.
“I feel for our dear friend, Mayor Jenny Barzaga. As the mayor of Dasmariñas City, she must have her hands full serving her constituents. The last thing she needs is the evil mindedness of people who use her son Kiko’s mental state to advance their self seeking political agenda,” Lacson wrote.