“Barzaga’s antics may be symptomatic of a political culture that rewards provocative behavior rather than principle”
WHAT is it about Francisco ‘Kiko’ Barzaga, a 27-year-old neophyte lawmaker from Cavite, who has sparked intense scrutiny for controversial statements and actions that landed him in both mainstream media as well as social media platforms?
Barzaga is young: he was born in 1998 and part of a political dynasty that now occupies leading positions in Dasmariñas City in Cavite.
Early on, he drew attention for his unconventional or unorthodox behavior, starting with his “meow” persona—he greets and signs off interviews with “meow, meow.”
This deliberate use of a strong personal brand has raised quizzical eyebrows both among his colleagues and the public.
Barzaga has posted incendiary remarks on social media, prompting his own party, the National Unity Party (NUP), to prepare an ethics complaint. They accused him of inciting violence and flaunting his wealth.
He has also faced condemnation from the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) for “scandalous behavior” that undermines public trust.
He recently admitted arriving late to an ethics hearing in Congress because he said he had spent the previous night playing computer games.
The Philippine Army Reserve Command recommended his delisting from the reserve force, citing misconduct—specifically his social media posts urging soldiers and reservists to join protest activities.
Barzaga has also called for the abolition of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), which was widely condemned as “unfair and irresponsible” by PCG officials.
One time, he barged into the office of House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, allegedly to solicit support for a surprise bid to unseat then Speaker Martin Romualdez.
At one point, amid the public outrage over the flood control projects scandal, he even tried to enter the office of then Speaker Romualdez, but was stopped at the door by security officers.
He then pulled a chair and sat outside the Speaker’s office for sometime, alone by himself, obviously to gain media attention.
In another incident, he led a small group of his supporters outside what he claimed was a mansion of Romualdez in Forbes Park in Makati City, hoping to attract more people in a nighttime rally to protest alleged involvement of the House leader in the flood control projects mess.
Barzaga failed to muster a bigger crowd, and dispersed quietly into the night.
Recently, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police confirmed that Barzaga was among the 97 respondents charged before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office over the violent incidents that broke out after the Sept. 21 anticorruption rally in Manila.
Some observers consider his style as “bizarre” or “unserious,” even if packaged as Gen Z/alternative politics.
But public behavior that appears merely attention-seeking, unorthodox or overly youthful rebelliousness has no place in an institution tasked with crafting laws that should benefit the entire nation.
It would appear that based on Barzaga’s publicly documented behavior, what stands out is unconventional conduct, perhaps immature or lacking conventional decorum.
Critics see his actions as irresponsible, clownish, or undermining of institutional norms.
If his behavior is so far outside norms that it warrants thorough evaluation, that’s a separate question of competence/ethics for office.
While some of his colleagues have privately questioned whether Barzaga is “unwell,” no one has yet called for evaluation of his mental state, and it would be inappropriate—and potentially stigmatizing—to speculate on his mental health without clinical evidence.
If Barzaga continues to behave in ways that challenge norms, garner media/ethical scrutiny, and provoke debate about fitness for office, then we cannot rule out the possibility that the House Ethics Committee may soon have to impose sanctions on him for tainting the public image of the institution.
While it may be true that an unorthodox style or youthful rebelliousness in politics does not automatically mean a person is mentally unwell, Congress must do what’s necessary to protect its institutional integrity.
Barzaga’s case reflects a broader challenge in Philippine politics: how to uphold standards of public service in an era of performative politics, social media spectacle, and weakened party discipline.
His antics may be symptomatic of a political culture that rewards provocative behavior rather than principle.
In democratic institutions, erratic or offensive behavior by public officials is typically addressed through ethics investigations, party discipline, and public accountability mechanisms.
Dissent or unorthodox conduct, even when it’s merely disruptive or immature, distracts from structural accountability, and suggests the need for stronger ethics enforcement in Congress.
(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)
