In Dasmariñas City, Cavite, democracy moved to repair a breach of its own making — filling a congressional seat emptied not by death or resignation, but by expulsion. On August 29, voters in the 4th District chose among five candidates to replace Francisco Barzaga, whose repeated disruptions, mockery of House leadership, and unauthorized broadcasts during budget deliberations led to a 265-14 vote for removal in June. The episode, the first such expulsion in nearly three years, raises quiet but enduring questions about the boundaries of dissent, decorum, and accountability within legislative ch
Cavite voters choose new representative in special election to replace expelled lawmaker Barzaga
The first lawmaker removed in nearly three years
Mark
So a congressman was expelled from the House. That's not something you see every day.
Mimi
No, it's not. The vote was overwhelming—265 to 14. The ethics committee had documented a pattern of behavior they said was disruptive and disorderly. Interruptions during sessions, mockery of leadership, unauthorized broadcasts during budget work.
Luke
What does "disruptive" actually mean in that context? Was he raising legitimate objections, or was this something else entirely?
Mimi
The committee found it violated parliamentary rules and obstructed proceedings. He'd been suspended twice before for social media posts making accusations against other lawmakers.
Mark
And his mother is running to replace him?
Mimi
Yes. Jennifer Austria Barzaga is the Dasmariñas City mayor, and she's one of five candidates in the special election.
Luke
That's an interesting detail. Do we know if there's any statement from her about her son's expulsion, or how she's positioning herself in relation to it?
Mimi
The source doesn't include any statement from her. We know she's running, but not her public position on what happened.
Mark
What made Barzaga notable before the expulsion?
Mimi
He was known online for animal rights advocacy and a cat persona—some of his posts ended with "meow." But that online presence seems to have been tied to the behavior that got him expelled.
Luke
So we're looking at a first removal in three years. That suggests either stricter enforcement or a genuine escalation in conduct. The source doesn't tell us which.
Mimi
Right. It's the fact of the expulsion and the special election that's clear. The broader context—whether this represents a shift in how the House polices itself—that's still open.
Le Pouls
- A sitting congressman's pattern of interruptions, online accusations, and live-streaming without authorization pushed the House to its most decisive expulsion in nearly three years — 265 votes to 14.
- The removal of Francisco 'Kiko' Barzaga, who had cultivated a quirky public persona around animal rights and a cat character, left a district of nearly half a million registered voters without representation.
- Five candidates entered the race to claim the vacant seat, including the expelled lawmaker's own mother, Dasmariñas City Mayor Jennifer Austria Barzaga, turning the special election into a charged family and political drama.
- The city was declared a non-working day to encourage turnout, with polls opening as early as 5 a.m. for vulnerable groups — the machinery of democratic renewal running on a compressed, urgent timeline.
- The outcome will signal whether voters see Barzaga's removal as justice served or a seat to be reclaimed by those closest to him.
In Dasmariñas City, Cavite, democracy moved to repair a breach of its own making — filling a congressional seat emptied not by death or resignation, but by expulsion. On August 29, voters in the 4th District chose among five candidates to replace Francisco Barzaga, whose repeated disruptions, mockery of House leadership, and unauthorized broadcasts during budget deliberations led to a 265-14 vote for removal in June. The episode, the first such expulsion in nearly three years, raises quiet but enduring questions about the boundaries of dissent, decorum, and accountability within legislative chambers.
On the morning of August 29, voters across Dasmariñas City's 75 barangays went to the polls for a special election — one made necessary not by the ordinary rhythms of political life, but by an expulsion that had shaken the House of Representatives months earlier.
The seat had belonged to Francisco Barzaga, known as Kiko, until June, when his colleagues voted 265-14 to remove him. The ethics committee, led by Rep. JC Abalos, had documented a sustained pattern of disruptive behavior: repeated interruptions of plenary sessions, public mockery of House leadership, and unauthorized live broadcasts during budget deliberations. He had already been suspended twice — 60 days each time — for social media posts making accusations against fellow lawmakers and officials. Online, he had built a following around animal rights causes and a cat persona, sometimes signing off with 'meow.' His expulsion was the first of its kind in nearly three years.
Five candidates stepped forward to fill the vacancy. Among them was Dasmariñas City Mayor Jennifer Austria Barzaga — Kiko's mother — alongside former vice mayor Raul Rex Del Rosario, former councilor Jacinto Bautista Frani Jr., and two other contenders. The district they sought to represent holds 447,387 registered voters.
The city was declared a non-working day to encourage participation. Polls opened at 5 a.m. for seniors, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, and detainees, with general voting running from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. A seat cleared by consequence was now being filled by choice.
On Saturday morning, August 29, voters in Dasmariñas City walked into polling precincts across Cavite's 4th District to elect a new representative. The special election had been called to fill a seat left vacant by an expulsion—a rare and consequential removal from the House of Representatives that had played out over the preceding months.
The man being replaced was Francisco Barzaga, known widely as Kiko, who had represented the district until June, when the House voted 265-14 to expel him. Eight lawmakers abstained. The decision came after an ethics committee investigation found him guilty of conduct that violated parliamentary rules: behavior described as disruptive and disorderly, the kind that obstructed the work of the chamber itself. Ethics committee chair Rep. JC Abalos laid out the pattern in formal language—highly disruptive, discourteous, and disorderly—but the specifics were more vivid. Barzaga had interrupted plenary sessions repeatedly. He had mocked House leadership. During budget deliberations, he had conducted unauthorized live broadcasts. He had been suspended twice before for 60 days each time, both suspensions triggered by social media posts that made accusations against fellow lawmakers and government officials. Online, Barzaga had cultivated a persona around animal rights advocacy and a cat character, sometimes ending his posts with "meow." The expulsion made him the first lawmaker in nearly three years to be removed from the chamber.
Five candidates sought to replace him. The field included Dasmariñas City Mayor Jennifer Austria Barzaga—Kiko's mother—along with former vice mayor Raul Rex Del Rosario, former councilor Jacinto Bautista Frani Jr., Marvin Opamin Dupal-ag, and Leysander Aguilar. The district itself encompasses all of Dasmariñas, a city of 447,387 registered voters spread across 75 barangays.
The special election had been declared a non-working day in the city to maximize turnout. Voting began at 7 a.m. and was scheduled to close at 3 p.m. Early voting for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, and persons deprived of liberty had started an hour earlier, at 5 a.m. The machinery of democratic replacement was in motion—a seat emptied by expulsion, a field of candidates, and a city's voters tasked with choosing who would fill it.
Citations marquantes
Barzaga displayed a pattern of highly disruptive, discourteous, and disorderly behavior that obstructed plenary proceedings and undermined legislative decorum— House ethics committee chair Rep. JC Abalos
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