Romualdez Not Behind Complaint vs Barzaga – Puno
RONALDO PUNO – The Antipolo 1st District representative defended himself and other lawmakers over the recent filing of an ethics complaint against Cavite 4th District Representative Kiko Barzaga.
During a press briefing on Monday, September 15, 2025, Puno clarified that neither House Speaker Martin Romualdez nor other lawmakers were involved in targeting Barzaga, despite the latter’s strong remarks against the House leadership. “I want that very clear, hindi namin hinahabol si Representative Barzaga, even the Speaker does not want us to do what we are proposing to do,” Puno said.
Puno explained that the ethics complaint was not politically motivated nor an act of retaliation. Instead, he described it as taking responsibility for Barzaga’s alleged misconduct as a former member of their party.
“But we are going to do this because we feel responsible for what has happened, dahil nga miyembro ng partido namin ‘yan, I signed a certificate for nomination and acceptance for him, and we want him to be held to account for this,” Puno added.
The issue began when Barzaga left the National Unity Party (NUP) after accusing Puno of linking him to an alleged signature campaign seeking to oust Speaker Romualdez. In response, Barzaga strongly denied the accusation, saying the claims linking him to a plot against Speaker Romualdez were completely false.
Later that day, Barzaga posted an image on Facebook resembling a “breaking news” headline, jokingly stating that Romualdez and Ako Bicol Party-list Representative Elizaldy Co were “marked safe” following the filing of the ethics complaint against him.
The controversy has caught public attention, with many waiting to see how the House leadership will address the issue. Puno reiterated that the complaint was solely about maintaining accountability and integrity within their party and the House of Representatives, stressing that Speaker Romualdez had no involvement in the filing of the case.
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