Cavite Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga confirmed that he has apologized to business tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. over what he described as “personal issues,” even as the cyberlibel case against him proceeds.
The young lawmaker said the apology was personal in nature, but stressed that the legal case will still push through. He declined to elaborate, saying the matter was “confidential.”
Razon, chair of port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI), filed a cyberlibel complaint against Barzaga on 14 January over alleged false statements posted on the lawmaker’s social media account.
Razon’s counsel, Laurence Arroyo, earlier said the complaint stemmed from Barzaga’s 9 January Facebook post, which read: “NUP (National Unity Party) Congressmen received bribes from Enrique Razon in various gatherings in Solaire before the 2025 elections in exchange for supporting Speaker Martin Romualdez of Leyte.”
Another 9 January Facebook post by Barzaga, also cited in the complaint, read: “Enrique Razon is the mastermind behind the corruption in Congress, I will disclose everything in a speech once I return in the first week of February #IkulongSiRazon.”
“I will face him in court,” Barzaga had said in reaction to the case.
The posts have since been deleted from Barzaga’s Facebook page.
Barzaga, who was slapped with a two-month suspension order last December by his House colleagues, appeared composed in a recent podcast appearance, where he spoke about accountability and “morals.”
“From a moral standpoint, if that is going to be my punishment for making a statement on what I assumed without—what I assumed of Razon's moral perspective of, or Razon's personality, then yes,” he said.
“Eh di tama lang na makasuhan ako dahil doon (It's only right that I get sued for that),” Barzaga added.
Whether calculated or sincere, the lawmaker struck a measured tone and expressed readiness to accept the outcome of the case filed by Razon.