Kiko Barzaga to face ethics raps over misconduct; asks Sandro's backing for speakership

The National Unity Party (NUP) is set to file an ethics complaint against its former member, Dasmariñas Rep. Kiko Barzaga, over his alleged misconduct towards members of Congress and Cabinet that undermines public trust in the government. 

NUP chairperson Ronaldo Puno announced the plan in a briefing on Monday, although the the party has yet to confirm for when the complaint will be brought to the House committee on ethics and privileges. 

“We cannot allow this behavior to [go] unresponded to…Somebody has to discipline this boy,” Puno told reporters. “We cannot allow this to be propagated as if it's normal.”

Barzaga resigned from the NUP last week after allegedly being accused of Puno of soliciting signatures to unseat Speaker Martin Romualdez. 

Puno, however, countered that he did not levelled such accusations against Barzaga, explaining that he only called him to his office to discuss and resolve the matter internally. 

However, Barzaga allegedly provided no explanation and immediately resigned from the party. 

Days after departing the NUP and bolted from the majority bloc, Puno said Barzaga stormed the office of Majority Leader Sandro Marcos to back his bid for the speakership and vowed to promote those who will support him as his deputies. 

“The majority leader was shocked, but being the gentleman that he is, he just let it go. Then in the session, he went around campaigning to be Speaker, saying he is going to declare all seats vacant," Puno narrated. 

According to the party leader, such behavior is “inapproriate” and unbecoming of a member of Congress. 

The party also cited the lawmaker’s vulgar and lewd posts towards women on his social media account in their draft complaint. 

Puno emphasized the need to uphold behavioral standards among members of Congress, asserting that letting Barzaga’s actions go unchecked will just set a dangerous precedent for lawmakers.

Barzaga’s parents—the late Dasmariñas Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. and Dasmasriñas Mayor Jenny Barzaga—are both stalwarts of the NUP with the late lawmaker being one of the co-founders of the party in 2011.

Aside from attacking Romualdez and linking him to the flood control anomalies, Barzaga also accused Senate President Tito Sotto of being a lackey of the Speaker, thus the Senate probe on substandard or ghost flood control projects would allegedly not prosper.

He also criticized President Marcos Jr. and Interior Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla, among others.