Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno on Tuesday filed a cyber-libel complaint against Dasmariñas City Representative Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga before the Antipolo City Prosecutor’s Office over a Facebook post alleging corruption in the House of Representatives.
Puno said Barzaga’s January 9, 2026 post falsely claimed that members of the National Unity Party received bribes from businessman Enrique Razon in exchange for supporting Speaker Martin Romualdez ahead of the 2025 elections.
The post, published on Barzaga’s verified Facebook page with about 1.9 million followers, allegedly imputed the commission of a serious crime and was further amplified by online news sites and social media platforms, Puno said.
As of posting time, Barzaga, a member of an influential political clan from Cavite, has yet to respond to the filing.
Earlier, Barzaga vowed to personally apologize to billionaire Enrique Razon for accusing him of bribery, admitting that his statements were driven by a personal grudge.
Razon sued Barzaga for cyber-libel on January 14, seeking P110 million in moral and exemplary damages for alleged damage to his reputation and emotional distress.
Puno’s complaint traces the dispute to a prior ethics case before the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges.
On September 17, 2025, Puno and 28 other lawmakers filed a verified ethics complaint against Barzaga for alleged violations of House rules and Republic Act 6713 over social media posts deemed scurrilous and unbecoming of a member of Congress.
On December 1, 2025, the ethics committee found Barzaga guilty of disorderly behavior and conduct unbecoming of a House member and suspended him for 60 days without pay.
The panel also warned him against repeating the offense and ordered the removal of the posts that were the subject of the case, which Barzaga complied with.
Puno said Barzaga published the January 9 post while still under suspension, describing it as retaliation against lawmakers who initiated the ethics complaint.
In his complaint-affidavit, Puno said the post met the elements of cyber-libel under the Cybercrime Prevention Act and the Revised Penal Code, arguing that it was made publicly, maliciously, and through a computer system.
He also said the statement was not protected by parliamentary immunity since it was made outside Congress and was unrelated to legislative duties.
Puno denied receiving any bribe from Razon or any other person and said other National Unity Party members who were similarly accused are preparing to file their own complaints.
He also reserved the right to pursue a separate civil action for damages.
