NUP eyes expulsions over loose cannon

Members of the dominant National Unity Party (NUP) who are disgruntled over the support of their former peer, Cavite 4th District Rep. Kiko Barzaga, now seek the dismantling of the party’s Dasmariñas chapter and the expulsion of its entire membership.

House Deputy Speaker and Antipolo 1st District Representative Ronaldo Puno said he will propose that all NUP members in Dasmariñas to be removed from the party.

NUP also plans to file cases against Barzaga next week for libel, Puno said.

Barzaga was previously a member of the National Unity Party (NUP), the party he ran under or was affiliated with when he entered Congress in 2025, succeeding his late father, Elpidio “Pidi” Barzaga Jr. who was also an NUP stalwart.

He resigned from the NUP in September 2025 amid internal conflicts, including accusations related to an alleged plot against former Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Since his resignation from NUP, he has been described as an independent lawmaker or part of the minority bloc.

Party meeting tomorrow

Puno said a party meeting is scheduled for Monday, with 40 people expected to attend.

“On Monday the party will have a meeting. We will tackle all this because we were all at the party, as Barzaga pointed out, and we feel we were charged with libel because it shows we are also being bribed. So I think we’ll all be filing. There are 40 members in the meeting. So maybe next week, at least 40 suits will be filed against him,” Puno said.

Earlier, Solon mentioned taking legal action against Barzaga over his claims that party members received bribes from a businessman.

Aside from filing suit against Barzaga, the party is also eyeing Barzaga’s expulsion from the House of Representatives.

Puno said it “demeans the House” to have a member like Barzaga, given his behavior.

He said they are also contemplating filing a new complaint and asked Barzaga to be expelled, which is like an outright defiance of everything that is going on.

Puno said Barzaga is in bad faith and is inventing anything that is not the behavior of a true lawmaker, since he is only playing.

“So I think it demeans the House to have somebody like him there,” Puno said, adding that it would be best for Barzaga to stop being a “distraction” from all the problems they face in Congress.

To recall, the House of Representatives on the first day of December 2025, imposed a 60-day suspension against the Cavite lawmaker for being “guilty of disorderly behavior.”