A bizarre saga has emerged in Congress involving a young first term congressman who has been channeling his youthful energy into a cat-themed campaign to troll the House of Representative with antics rooted in hollow defiance.
Cavite’s Kiko Barzaga sashayed into politics at a tender age of 26 through his father the late congressman Elpidio Barzaga. Initially aligned with the majority bloc and serving as assistant majority leader under Sandro Marcos, Barzaga’s trajectory took a sharp turn when he suddenly abandoned the majority bloc to declare himself as independent. As pressure mounted on then Speaker Martin Romualdez over the corruption anomalies at the DPWH, he escalated matters calling attention to himself by storming into Majority Leader Sandro Marcos’s office and boldly announcing his intent to run for Speaker.
He knew how to utilize the social media platform, creating viral posts to make fun and insults devoid of context. “Don’t burn down the House of Representatives tomorrow, I still have a privilege speech on Wednesday,” he quipped in one of his posts. “Can we bring Airsoft (guns) to the protest tomorrow or will we get arrested? Because (policemen) have guns, batons, and riot shields. We’re at a disadvantage,” he stated on another. He also plastered cat emojis over images of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Senate President Tito Sotto, and other officials, while mocking women in older posts.
An ethics complaint was lodged against Barzaga for his social media antics and public behavior. Citing violations of the House’s code of conduct, the complaint accused him of conduct unbecoming of a lawmaker.
On October 13, 2025, he deliberately missed the initial ethics hearing. His excuse? He had stayed up late “playing games with my computer” after attending an anti-Marcos rally outside Forbes Park in Makati the night before.
Barzaga has since positioned himself as a Duterte ally, filing a hollow impeachment complaint against President Marcos supposedly for the flood control fund irregularities. His antics essays an attention-seeking behavior, turning legislative proceedings into a farce with his “meow-meow” interjections during sessions. By treating social media as a playground for provocative jokes about violence and sedition, he has no qualms disrespecting the very institution he swore to serve.
Barzaga’s brand isn’t bold populism; they are immature posturing from someone who dropped out of college to play politics simply because it was an easier thing for him to do. As a self-proclaimed animal welfare advocate, his cat obsession might charm voters, but pasting feline faces on leaders and calling for peace while hinting at armed protests shows nothing more than a hypocritical streak.
Simply put, Barzaga’s behavior is idiotic. At a time when the Philippines grapples with corruption scandals, economic woes, and political divisions, we don’t need a congressman treating governance like a viral meme or a late-night gaming session. His excuses for missing hearings and his inflammatory posts aren’t clever satire – these are acts of an entitled nepo brat who thinks rules don’t apply to him.
Barzaga should be put in his place by proper sanctions—starting with a thorough ethics probe that could lead to censure, suspension, or even expulsion if the sedition claims hold water.
