Opposition leaders have questioned the haste by which Cavite 4th District Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga was handed a 60-day suspension, saying the move reeked of a political vendetta and may infringe on free speech.

Barzaga’s former party, the National Unity Party, had initiated the complaint against him, which advanced with unusual speed, raising suspicions the process was driven by retaliation rather than a fair and measured review of his conduct.

The House ethics committee’s sweeping conclusion that Barzaga’s posts damaged the “dignity” of the House rested on a broad reading of what lawmakers may or may not say online.

Vice President Sara Duterte denounced the suspension, calling it part of efforts to silence critics of President Ferdinand Maros Jr.

The House of Representatives suspended Barzaga for 60 days after he was found guilty of disorderly conduct in connection with his allegedly inappropriate social media posts. 

“The suspension of Rep. Kiko Barzaga is part of a series of efforts to silence voices that speak uncomfortable truths,” Duterte said in a statement.

“This is not the first time that critics of the government have been met with punitive action. In less than a year, we witnessed the kidnapping of a former president and the filing of inciting to sedition charges against several individuals, including myself, simply because we dared to question those in power,” she added. 

“Democracy demands courage. Democracy demands the freedom to speak and the freedom to question,” she stressed.

Independent bloc’s vote

The harsh penalty comes at a time when Filipinos are grappling with a worsening economy, with questions about peace and order, and persistent allegations of corruption in public spending, including flood control and other significant projects, Davao City Representatives Paolo Duterte, Omar Duterte, and Isidro Ungab, and Pwersa ng Pilipinong Pandagat Partylist Rep. Harold Duterte, said in a joint statement.

The four said that in such a climate, silencing a critic does nothing to restore trust; it only deepens public suspicion that uncomfortable questions are being swept aside.

The lawmakers said they support the five congressmen who voted against Barzaga’s suspension and the 11 who refused to join the majority. As the independent bloc, we call on our colleagues to stand with the people in a continuing, good-faith search for the truth, they added.

Those who turned down the recommendation to suspend Barzaga were SAGIP Partylist Rep. Paolo Marcoleta, Kamanggagawa Partylist Rep. Eli San Fernando, Bagong Henerasyon Partylist Rep. Robert Nazal, Quezon City 4th district Rep. Bong Suntay, and Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste.

“We owe it to our constituents and to future generations to pursue accountability wherever the evidence leads. The search for truth must continue,” the four lawmakers said.