CAVITE 4th District Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga stirred controversy over the weekend after falsely alleging that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had issued an arrest warrant for Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
The Gen Z lawmaker, known for his online presence and satirical “Congressmeow” branding, claimed in a State of the Nation Address (SONA)-style video posted Saturday, Nov. 8.
“My fellow citizens, President Marcos plans to arrest all of his political opponents. Earlier today, Marcos issued an arrest warrant against Senator Dela Rosa, an ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte, whom Marcos has also arrested,” Barzaga said in his video.
Under Philippine law, the president cannot issue arrest warrants.
Barzaga’s remarks came amid reports that the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague had issued a warrant for Dela Rosa in connection with the crimes against humanity case tied to Duterte’s drug war.
Duterte has been detained and undergoing trial before the ICC since mid-March.
The claim regarding the ICC warrant originated from Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, though both Philippine authorities and the ICC have not confirmed its existence as of Tuesday, Nov. 11.
Despite this, Barzaga escalated his allegations, saying the Marcos administration also intended to imprison Senators Bong Go, Joel Villanueva, and Rodante Marcoleta, without presenting any evidence.
In the same video, the first-term lawmaker further accused Marcos of “killing” his political opponents, again offering no proof for the claim. He then urged Filipinos to “march toward the gates of Malacañang” and remove the President through “People Power.”
The video has since gained traction online, garnering over 106,000 reactions and more than 24,000 shares as of posting time.