Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco questioned why the House of Representatives imposed its harshest disciplinary penalty on Cavite 4th District Rep. Kiko Barzaga while, in his words, others he said had committed corruption were not even being publicly named.
During the House session on Tuesday, June 2, Tiangco raised doubts over Barzaga’s expulsion and said the penalty should match the offense.
“He made mistakes, but the penalty should be commensurate with the offense,” Tiangco said.
Tiangco also questioned why Barzaga was expelled while others he accused of corruption were not called out inside the chamber.
“Nakakalungkot lang na si Kiko ay tinanggal natin pero yung ibang alam natin na gumawa ng korapsyon dito ay hindi man lang natin mabanggit,” Tiangco said.
The question adds weight because Barzaga had criticized former Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez, who remains a House member while facing Ombudsman scrutiny over alleged corruption tied to flood-control funds and budget insertions. Ombudsman Boying Remulla has described the case being prepared against Romualdez as the “grandest case,” involving an alleged conspiracy to defraud the national treasury.
That contrast sharpened Tiangco’s point. The House moved to expel Barzaga over alleged disorderly conduct, while Romualdez, still a member of the same chamber, has not been reported to have faced a comparable expulsion or suspension vote over those allegations.
The House voted 265 in favor, 14 against, and eight abstentions to adopt Committee Report No. 298. The report found Barzaga guilty of “disruptive” and “disorderly” conduct that violated parliamentary rules.
House ethics committee chair Rep. JC Abalos said Barzaga showed a “pattern of highly disruptive, discourteous, and disorderly behavior” that obstructed plenary proceedings.
Before the vote, Barzaga said goodbye to fellow lawmakers and told them “not to steal so much.”
His expulsion makes him the first lawmaker in nearly three years to be removed from the House. Tiangco’s challenge puts the chamber under pressure to explain why Barzaga faced the strongest punishment while larger corruption allegations remain under inquiry.
