The strongest defense of Cavite 4th district Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga during the Dec. 1 House vote on his suspension came not from a fellow Cavite lawmaker but from Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste.
Like Barzaga, Leviste has drawn attention for his uncompromising stance against corruption.
Leviste was one of only five House members who opposed the Committee on Ethics and Privileges’ recommendation to suspend the 27‑year‑old solon for 60 days without pay.
The minority was overwhelmed by 249 colleagues who voted to affirm the sanction, but Leviste made clear his frustration with what he saw as a rushed and misplaced decision against “congressmeow.”
The 32‑year‑old lawmaker criticized the chamber for hastily punishing Barzaga over incendiary social media posts while ignoring what he described as “more serious” allegations against another colleague.
“Ang boto ko ay ‘no’ hindi dahil perpekto si Cong. Barzaga, pero dahil kuwestyunable para sa akin na minadali natin itong desisyon,” Leviste said, noting that the committee report was only handed to members that afternoon.
He added that Congress was prioritizing Barzaga’s case over graver accusations, including claims that a fellow Batangueño lawmaker was linked to ₱100 billion worth of questionable DPWH contracts.
“Hindi ba nakakahiya maging miyembro ng Kongreso dahil parang naging normal na meron tayong isang kasamahan na inakusahan na nagbayad para sa mahigit ₱100 billion ng mga kontrata sa DPWH?” he asked.
Leviste lamented that Congress was damaging its own image by acting swiftly against Barzaga while failing to investigate alleged large‑scale corruption.
“Nakatala na sa kasaysayan na sa gitna ng matinding kontrobersiya sa korapsyon, ito ang inuna ng Kongreso… Mahiya naman tayo,” he said.
The ethics panel, chaired by 4Ps Party‑list Rep. JC Abalos, had found Barzaga guilty of disorderly conduct and behavior unbecoming of a House member.
4 lawmakers join opposition
Alongside Leviste, SAGIP Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, Kamanggagawa Rep. Eli San Fernando, Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Robert Nazal, and Quezon City Rep. Bong Suntay opposed Barzaga’s suspension.
Marcoleta said Barzaga was merely exercising his freedom of expression when it comes to his rage-baiting and sometimes lewd social media posts.
It was these posts–24 of them to be exact–that became the main subject of the ethics case filed against him by 29 members of the National Unity Party (NUP).
“From Voltaire’s philosophy of tolerance and freedom of expression, this line of often quoted: ‘I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.’ The independence of the legislature ensures that members may speak fully, frankly, and fearlessly on matters of public interest,” Rep. Marcoleta said.
San Fernando warned the sanction set a “dangerous precedent,” saying lawmakers should not be “onion‑skinned” against dissenting views and that voters should decide Barzaga’s fate.
Nazal called the penalty “grossly disproportionate,” stressing that a reprimand would have been more appropriate since the acts did not involve corruption or criminality.
Though their votes were defeated by the overwhelming majority, the five solons placed on record their defense of Barzaga and their concerns about fairness, free speech, and proportional discipline within the chamber. (Ellson Quismorio)
