Published by: Zenie Lynn Caguing
Date Published: January 19, 2026
Time Published: 8:16 am
Deputy Speaker and National Unity Party (NUP) president Ronaldo Puno on Tuesday, January 13, announced plans to pursue legal action against Cavite Fourth District Rep. Kiko Barzaga over bribery allegations related to former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Barzaga earlier claimed in a now-deleted Facebook post on Friday, February 9, that NUP members received alleged financial inducements from tycoon Enrique Razon to back Romualdez in the 2025 midterm elections.
“I will be providing evidence to the NUP's bribery case in a speech in Congress when I return in February,” said Barzaga in the deleted post.
Puno, however, dismissed the accusations, calling them “baseless, reckless, and malicious.”
He said the claim of bribes “defies logic,” noting that Romualdez faced no opposition in the 2025 midterm elections, making the alleged inducements unnecessary.
Puno also said Barzaga “chose to malign all members of the NUP” and argued that accusing the party of criminal conduct “without evidence shows a reckless and deeply irresponsible contempt for the truth.”
“We will see him in court,” Puno concluded, adding that the party would pursue legal action against Barzaga.
On December 1, 2025, the House of Representatives adopted a committee report finding Barzaga liable for misconduct under the House Code of Conduct and Republic Act 6713, resulting in a 60-day suspension.
The move followed Barzaga’s continued posting of what the House described as inflammatory and disorderly content on his verified social media accounts, despite earlier sanctions.
Last week, the NUP asked the House ethics committee to review whether Barzaga is fit to return to work, citing his online posts as “discreditable” and contrary to the ethical standards expected of lawmakers.
REFERENCES:
[1] Flores, D. N. (2026, January 13). NUP to sue Kiko Barzaga over claims of bribery for Romualdez. The Philippine Star. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/01/13/2500688/nup-sue-kiko-barzaga-over-claims-bribery-romualdez
[2] Gulla, V. (2026, January 13). NUP members to take legal action vs Barzaga over claims they received ‘bribes’ — Puno. ABS‑CBN News. https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/13/nup-chair-puno-members-to-take-legal-action-vs-barzaga-over-claims-they-received-bribes-1447
[3] Subingsubing, K. (2026, January 14). Former party mates eye another case vs Barzaga — this time over bribery claim. Philippine Daily Inquirer. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2167597/former-party-mates-eye-another-case-vs-barzaga-
this-time-over-bribery-claim
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