CONGRESS SUSPENDS CAVITE REP. BARZAGA FOR 60 DAYS WITHOUT PAY

THE House of Representatives on Monday suspended Cavite 4th district Rep. Kiko Barzaga for 60 days without pay after finding him guilty of disorderly behavior over his alleged inappropriate social media posts.

With 249 members voting in the affirmative, 5 negative and 11 abstentions, the Chamber adopted the recommendations of the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges under Committee Report No. 28.

4Ps Party-list Rep. JC Abalos, chairman of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, read the recommendations of the panel during plenary session.

Abalos said Barzaga’s posts were reckless, offensive, and “unbefitting of a House member,” adding that the content allegedly included incitement and statements that undermined the House’s integrity.

“His actions reflected negatively upon the dignity, integrity, and reputation of the House of Representatives as an institution of the members of the House individually and collectively,” Abalos said in his 27-page report to the plenary.

“Respondent’s reckless, offensive, and irresponsible use of his social media platform tarnishes the name, integrity, and reputation of the House of Representatives,” he added.

The committee ordered Barzaga to delete the 24 posts cited in the complaint within 24 hours once the report is adopted in plenary.

Antipolo City 1st district Rep. Ronnie Puno and several members of the National Unity Party  (NUP) filed the ethics complaint against Barzaga, citing “inciting to sedition” and violations of House rules.

According to the House Committee, Barzaga’s actions “imposing incendiary social media contents on his Facebook accounts and retaining and failing to remove publicly-viewable inappropriate and indecent photos to be unparliamentary and unbecoming of a House member,” Abalos said.

The Ethics panel warned that “repetition of similar misconduct will result to a more severe disciplinary action.”

Barzaga said he “wholeheartedly” accepts the decision but  reiterated that he did not violate the Code of Conduct of the House.