Cavite 4th District Representative Kiko Barzaga submitted his counter-affidavit to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday in response to a complaint filed by the Philippine National Police–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).

Barzaga is accused of inciting to sedition and inciting to rebellion, stemming from an online post calling for the separation of Mindanao from the Philippines, as well as his alleged leadership of an anti-Marcos protest at Forbes Park in Makati City on 12 October, which authorities said was conducted without a permit.

The young lawmaker expressed confidence that the panel of prosecutors would dismiss the charges. He maintained that his online post is protected by freedom of speech and that the protest remained peaceful, with no reported acts of violence.

“I want to stress that this is part of my right to freedom of expression, and no violence occurred during the protest,” he said in an interview after filing his counter-affidavit.

Barzaga also expressed hope that his ethics complaint will be resolved before he returns to Congress in February. He added that the outcome of the case may influence how cautious he will be in voicing criticism against the government in the coming months.

Despite the complaints, Barzaga insisted that his ability to serve his constituents in Cavite has not been affected.