The House of Representatives has suspended Cavite 4th District Representative Kiko Barzaga for 60 days over social media posts deemed inappropriate and unbecoming of a lawmaker.
The plenary voted 249-5, with 11 abstentions, also directing Barzaga to remove the 24 posts within 24 hours.
House Committee on Ethics and 4Ps Partylist Rep. JC Abalos said Barzaga’s “reckless, offensive and irresponsible use of his social media platform tarnishes the name, integrity and reputation of the House of Representatives.”
“His deliberate choice to retain certain lewd, unprofessional and inappropriate photos clearly shows bad faith,” Abalos added.
He noted that Barzaga’s actions “simply does not reflect the kind of principles and ideals the public expects of a public official, particularly a member of the House of Representatives,” and explained the panel’s recommendation:
“The committee finds Rep. Kiko Barzaga of the fourth district of Cavite guilty of disorderly behavior and recommends the imposition of the penalty, 60 days suspension without salaries and allowances, with a stern warning that repetition of similar misconduct will result in a more severe disciplinary action.”
Abalos said the decision should remind lawmakers to “conduct in a manner that would reflect the dignity of our position in society and in public service.”