We should be careful about making a hero out of Congressman Kiko Barzaga. Actually, that goes out for every politician. But this is about Kiko, the first-term lawmaker who has made headlines left and right for his antics within and outside Congress.
From trying to gather protesters outside a posh village kung saan supposedly may properties in a dating House Speaker Martin Romualdes at resigned Congressman Zaldico, to filming himself confronting the President's son in the plenary. How's your cousin, Tita Romualdez? What's that? He doesn't want to answer.
He doesn't want to answer. I'm scared. Don't be like that, boss.
To joking about setting Batasang Pambansa on fire. For that last one, he was sued by the former party members of the National Unity Party for ethics complaints, among other reasons. He has definitely alienated, if not angered, many of his House colleagues who expect the Cavite congressman to play by the rules, or at the very least, observe proper decorum.
Even the long-standing opposition members of the camera, they are civil, if not friendly, towards their political rivals of CAM. It's because Congress is known for its spirit of collegiality. And maybe that's also why Barzaga has garnered a decent following online. He's a troublemaker that a segment of the population may find endearing, if that's the right word. He has also recently positioned himself as anti-administration.
His speech has been heard against Ramualdez, Zaldico, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. And it's not difficult to imagine how his words can resonate with the Filipino public that has grown tired of the current administration's shortcomings. Pero, teka lang.
While Barzaga has made decent points, ilagay natin sa konteksto. Kiko was the only one in his family to support the UNI team in 2022. Nag-viral pa nga yan for going up the stage to tease his father who endorsed Lenny Robredo at the time. BBM! BBM!
And yes, He came from a political dynasty. Currently, the mayor and vice mayor of Dasma are his mother and brother. And he is the district congressman. Isn't that a lot of power just from one family?
When he was running for congressman, he was not known for his platform but for his campaign jingle. He won that election by a small margin. And what is his record by the way?
He was a college dropout who served six years in the city council before gunning for a congressional seat in his mid-twenties. Other people who don't have his family name would have to work twice or thrice as hard just to achieve that kind of political success at his age. And now, people, including his former colleagues, are speculating about his mental health. Well, there is a reasonable discussion that can be made about ensuring our public officials are mentally fit to seek public office.
It is also an issue that is prone to sensationalism. In reality, NUP also deserves to shoulder the blame. They are now saying that Barzaga has been having problems for a long time. Why did they run for office under their party? Why did they make him assistant majority leader when he was sitting in Congress?
Shouldn't politics and public service be about merit and not merely relationships? And if we're looking for opposition lawmakers to cheer on, FYI, There are those who really worked hard, who were in the plenary until the last minute, to boost the 2026 budget that was submitted by the administration to the Congress. Laila de Lima, Shell Diokno, Antonio Tino, Rene Co, Sara Elago, Elisan Fernando, just to name a few. Look, I'm not saying there should be zero coverage at Barzaga.
But media, and the general public, can learn a thing or two about not merely parroting a politician's comments. Just because a congressman spoke, Doesn't mean it's news. Barzaga's actions should still be covered, but perhaps using a more critical lens. Not every quote from a politician is a soundbite deserving of airtime or attention. Kasi kapag binigay natin to sa kanila, we may end up elevating figures whose credentials crumble under scrutiny.
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