Four lawmakers allied with former president Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday opposed moves to impose additional sanctions against embattled Cavite 4th District Rep. Kiko Barzaga, warning that further punishment would amount to a gag order on his constitutional right to freedom of speech.

The opposition was conveyed in a letter addressed to House Speaker Faustino Dy III and signed by Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, Davao City 2nd District Rep. Omar Duterte, Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab, and PPP Party-list Rep. Harold Duterte.

“We express our strong opposition to the reported extension of the suspension being pushed against Rep. Kiko Barzaga. A handful of members of the House Ethics Committee cannot, and should not, presume to supersede the will of the thousands of voters who elected Rep. Barzaga to represent his congressional district,” the lawmakers said.

They added that Barzaga’s mandate comes from the people and not from what they described as the shifting sensibilities of a few colleagues.

The statement came after Manila 2nd District Rep. Rolando Valeriano sought additional sanctions against Barzaga, citing an alleged violation of the terms of his suspension order.

Valeriano pointed to Barzaga’s social media posts accusing port tycoon Enrique Razon of allegedly bribing lawmakers belonging to the National Unity Party to vote for then House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

He also cited Barzaga’s remarks about the late Antipolo City 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop, who died in December 2025, including statements that Acop was “suffering through eternal damnation” due to alleged involvement in anomalous flood control projects, that he “left the comfort of his luxurious mansion in exchange for a bit of eternal hellfire,” and that such “is the fate of all corrupt politicians.”

Razon and Valeriano have filed separate cyberlibel complaints against Barzaga over the social media posts.

Barzaga is currently serving a 60-day suspension without pay for disorderly behavior linked to the allegedly inappropriate social media posts that were the subject of the complaint against him.

The House ethics committee is expected to present further recommendations on the Barzaga case before the House plenary session on Wednesday, 5 February, after he was accused of violating the terms of his suspension.

The four lawmakers, however, stressed that Barzaga’s right to free expression is explicitly protected by the Constitution.

“Political speech—especially when it is critical, sharp, or uncomfortable—is not a punishable offense in a democratic society. If any party believes they have been legally wronged or defamed by Rep. Barzaga’s statements, the proper venue is the courts of law, not the House Ethics Committee acting as arbiter of acceptable opinion,” they said.

“We reiterate our full support for Rep. Barzaga and call for respect—not only for his constitutional rights—but, more importantly, for the voters of Cavite who entrusted him with their voice in Congress. Disciplinary powers must never be used to silence dissent or override the democratic choice of the people,” the four added.