Kiko Barzaga Calls Out Romualdez Following Arrest of Zaldy Co in Europe
KIKO BARZAGA – The Cavite 4th District Representative has once again criticized Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez following reports that former Ako Bicol party-list Representative Elizaldy Co was recently arrested in Europe.
In a social media post on April 17, 2026, Barzaga questioned why Co had already been apprehended while Romualdez’s situation remained unclear, raising further speculation and public interest. “Nahuli na si Zaldy Co sa Europe, hindi pa rin natin alam kung nasaan si Martin Romualdez,” he wrote.
Barzaga has been one of the figures linking Romualdez to alleged irregularities involving controversial flood control projects. His criticism of Romualdez dates back to September 2025, when tensions between them became public. At the time, Barzaga denied accusations that he was organizing efforts to remove Romualdez from his leadership position in the House of Representatives. He clarified that claims about him gathering support to unseat the former Speaker were not true.
“Yesterday night, I have been informed that Deputy Speaker Puno, the chairman of the National Unity Party, implicated me in a plot to remove Speaker Romualdez from his position, and that I am collecting signatures to do so. That notion is false,” he said.
Despite this, Barzaga later decided to withdraw his support for Romualdez. He explained that the situation had led to a breakdown of trust, prompting him to separate from both his political party, the National Unity Party, and the majority bloc. He noted that his earlier support for Romualdez had been based on party direction, but circumstances had since changed.
The issue gained more attention again earlier this year when Romualdez appeared in a House plenary session in February 2026. His appearance quickly became a topic online, with many people noticing physical changes and speculating about his condition.