MANILA — Cavite Fourth District Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga may face stiffer penalties if he declines to take down social media posts flagged by the House of Representatives, 4Ps Rep. JC Abalos said Tuesday.
Barzaga was ordered suspended for 60 days on Monday after the chamber found him guilty of disorderly conduct over what it described as “reckless” and “inflammatory” online posts.
In addition to the suspension, the House directed him to delete 24 posts deemed “unparliamentary and unbecoming of a House member” by the House Ethics Committee.
Although Barzaga accepted the ruling, his camp maintained that the posts were protected by free speech and part of a legislator’s oversight role.
Asked what would happen should Barzaga refuse to comply, Abalos, who chairs the Ethics Committee, said the lawmaker could face “a harsher penalty.” However, he did not specify what additional sanctions might be imposed.
Abalos added that Barzaga was notified of the 24 posts and was given 24 hours to remove them.
The ethics case stemmed from a complaint filed in September by several members of the National Unity Party, led by House Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno, who accused Barzaga of misconduct and posting content that was allegedly lewd, flaunting wealth, or inciting seditious behavior.