Congressmeow no more: House expels Kiko Barzaga
Published Jun 2, 2026 07:19 pm
At A Glance
- House expels Barzaga, with 265 lawmakers voting to remove him after repeated disorderly behavior and inflammatory social media posts.
- Ethics Committee cites recidivism, noting prior 60‑day suspensions and recommending expulsion under constitutional and House rules.
- Infractions detailed, including disruptive conduct in plenary, mocking House leaders online, and unauthorized Facebook broadcasts from the floor.
Expelled Cavite 4th district Rep. Francisco "Kiko" Barzaga (Facebook)
From "congressmeow" to just plain meow.
Francisco "Kiko" Barzaga was officially expelled from the House of Representatives during plenary session on Tuesday night, June 2--a move supported by 265 of his own solon-colleagues
Officially, the eccentric Barzaga's stint as Cavite 4th district congressman lasted for 338 days--justn 27 days short of a full year. June 30, 2025 was the first day of work among solons in the current 20th Congress.
In this span of time, the media savant and ragebaiter extraordinaire collected multiple ethics complaints from in and out of the House. These resulted to two 60-day suspensions without pay on account of "disorderly behavior", which Barzaga earlier served.
Much to his fellow congressmen's chagrin, the 27-year-old from Dasmariñas hasn't relented with his inflammatory posts on social media despite these punishments
During plenary session Tuesday, 4Ps Party-list Rep. JC Abalos, chairman of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, presented to plenary the recommendation contained in Committee Report (CR) No. 298, which dealt with an impeachment complaint filed by Deputy Speaker Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin's against Barzaga.
Garin filed the ethics complaint against Barzaga based on his claim linking her, her daughter, and House Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo 3rd district Rep. Lorenz Defensor to the death of a vice mayor, who died from an accidental discharge of a firearm.
"After an exhaustive, fair, and objective evaluation of the case, the committee finds respondent, representative...Barzaga...to have committed disorderly behavior and demonstrated conduct unbecoming of a member of the House of Representatives," Abalos said.
Pointing to Barzaga's recidivist behavior, Abalos said the harshest penalty of expulsion had to be recommended this time around.
"With the representative having meted with 60-day suspensions in two instances, the committee considers that another penalty of suspension will not likely deter the improper behaviour which continuously reflects negatively on the image of the House of Representatives.
"Thesefore," the chairman added, "The committee approved a recommendation to impose the penalty of expulsion from office upon Barzaga pursuant to Section 16, paragraph 3, Article VI of the Constitution, Section 142, Rule XX of the Rules of the House of Representatives, and Section 52(b)(5), Rule IX of the Committee Rules.”
Barzaga was present in plenary during nominal voting, the final result of which was 265-14-8 (yes-no-abstain).
The presiding officer at that time, Deputy Speaker Ilocos Sur 2nd district Rep. Kristine Singson-Meehan, declared the committee report and the expulsion recommendation as adopted.
The result showed that more House members voted to expel Barzaga than those who voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte a second time last May 11 (257).
Citing CR No. 298 Abalos said evidence showed that Barzaga engaged in a "pattern of highly disruptive, discourteous, and disorderly behaviour that directly obstructed plenary sessions and desecrated parliamentary solemnity".
Abalos said the "established infractions" include "disruptive physical demeanor", like repeatedly interrupting actual plenary sessions by walking around aimlessly, engaging in loud outbursts and distracting members during crucial legislative tasks; as well as "mockery of rhe leadership", or when the respondent posted a video on his official Facebook page super-imposing animated crocodiles over the former House Speaker and Majority Leader.
Also flagged were Barzaga's "authorized Facebook live broadcasts from the plenary floor", wherein he "recorded colleagues without consent, mock the proceedings, and make serious unparliamentary actuations".
Moot case
Earlier Tuesday, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag went to the House to file an impeachment complaint against Barzaga.
The NBI chief sought to penalize Barzaga for the latter's alleged inappropriate Facebook posts during the chaotic series of events within the Senate building last May 13, which included a shooting incident and Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa's high-profile "escape".
Matibag's filing is now moot and academic following the developments in plenary.