Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga was officially expelled from the House of Representatives on Tuesday night, June 2, following a plenary vote that saw 265 lawmakers support his removal.
Barzaga, who represented Cavite’s 4th district, lasted just 338 days in office—27 days short of a full year—before his colleagues decided to impose the harshest penalty available under the Constitution.
The 27‑year‑old lawmaker had already served two separate 60‑day suspensions without pay for “disorderly behavior.”
Despite these sanctions, he continued posting inflammatory content on social media, drawing repeated complaints from fellow legislators.
The decisive move came after 4Ps Party‑list Rep. JC Abalos, chair of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, presented Committee Report No. 298.
The report stemmed from a complaint filed by Deputy Speaker Janette Garin, who accused Barzaga of linking her family and another Iloilo representative to the death of a vice mayor.
Abalos told the plenary that Barzaga’s “pattern of highly disruptive, discourteous, and disorderly behavior” left the committee with no choice but to recommend expulsion.
He cited repeated interruptions during sessions, loud outbursts, mocking videos of House leaders, and unauthorized Facebook livestreams from the plenary floor.
During nominal voting, the chamber recorded 265 votes in favor, 14 against, and 8 abstentions.
Deputy Speaker Kristine Singson‑Meehan declared the recommendation adopted, making Barzaga’s expulsion official.
The tally surpassed the number of votes cast to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte for the second time last May, underscoring the breadth of support for Barzaga’s removal.
Earlier that day, NBI Director Melvin Matibag had filed a separate impeachment complaint against Barzaga over his social media posts during the Senate chaos of May 13.
That case was rendered moot by the plenary’s decision.
Barzaga’s expulsion marks one of the rare instances in Philippine congressional history where a sitting member was removed outright for misconduct, highlighting the House’s resolve to protect its integrity against repeated violations. (Ellson Quismorio)
