Photo credit: Congress PH

The House of Representatives suspended Cavite 4th District Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga for 60 days. The reason: social media posts.

Yet the same institution has remained silent on far graver abuses.

Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste publicly accused a fellow congressman, Edwin Gardiola, of orchestrating over P100 billion in DPWH contracts before these projects were even deliberated in Congress.

Until today, no committee, no panel, and no chamber of the House has taken action on this explosive allegation.

We commend the courage of Leviste, Kamangagawa Rep. Eli San Fernando, and the handful of others, who voted against this hypocrisy.

One wonders, though: Where are the members of the minority who are supposed to check the abuses of the majority?

Too scared they might lose their “allocations and allocables”? Too fearful that leadership will cut their pork?

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), jointly with the DPWH, recommended plunder and graft charges against eight lawmakers for alleged involvement in the flood control scandal now known nationwide as the “cong-tractor” cases.

These eight are:

Gardiola, Zaldy Co, James Ang Jr., Jernie Jett Nisay, Augustina Pancho, Joseph Lara, Francisco Matugas, and Noel Rivera.

To be fair, these are recommendations for investigation and charges from ICI and DPWH, not convictions. But it is undeniable that the gravity is far beyond “offensive” Instagram photos.

Members of Congress are barred from having a financial interest in government contracts. Yet ICI documented patterns of influence, pressure, and questionable contractor relationships.

Meanwhile, a young Barzaga faces suspension for pictures on social media.
The contrast is beyond stark, it is absurd.

It is no secret that some congressmen are habitual drunkards and maintain mistresses. Some frequent girly bars openly. Some flaunt luxury cars, designer watches, tailored premium suits, and private jets.

Others travel with government paid bodyguards, police escorts, or helicopters, leaving their constituents stuck for hours in choking traffic.

Their children are not exempt. In various provinces, residents whisper about entitled heirs assaulting locals, protected by the shield of family power.

Remember the case involving the son of former Congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr., caught on video in BF Homes kicking and striking a security guard who stopped him at a subdivision gate.

The footage went viral, charges were readied, and yet, like many incidents involving the well-connected, it quietly faded from the headlines.

Some legislators operate mining ventures. Others run construction firms under proxy names. Influence ensures personal profit.

Who would ever forget the QuadComm hearings?

Legislators like Benny Abante, JJ Suarez, Jay Khonghun, and Stephen Paduano, jokingly called “Boy Contempt” by viewers for his habit of threatening witnesses, were seen on live television raising their voices, cutting off testimony, and asserting authority with open impatience.

To many watching, their tone bordered on intimidation. The hearings often looked less like a search for truth and more like a performance for the cameras, with witnesses talked over and belittled as the public wondered who the spectacle was really for.

What were the consequences? None. No reprimand. No suspension.

Leviste’s P100-billion accusation against Gardiola remains unanswered.

The ICI’s referrals sit untouched. Congress has not mustered even a whisper of accountability.

Let’s not forget the irony: one congressman who spoke against Barzaga’s “improprieties” is allegedly linked, together with his sparring partner , already charged in several corruption cases in the past, to massive POGO operations.

Imagine condemning social-media behavior while profiting from an industry drowning in controversy.

When former Congresswoman Stella Quimbo appeared on social media wearing designer outfits and jewelry, did Congress ask if such displays were appropriate during a time of economic hardship?

Was she ever reprimanded?
As Senior Vice Chair to Zaldy Co last Congress, perhaps she could enlighten the public on the budget process last year. A conversation the ICI might find quite interesting. But that, of course, is another story.

We are not generalizing. Many principled legislators serve with integrity and remain untouched by the stench of corruption.

But these honorable few are overshadowed by a culture of impunity.

There are plenty of lions in the House, bold, loud, and fierce. Yet it took a cat, Cong. “Meow Meow” Barzaga, to expose these abuses.

Look now at the ordinary Filipino.

Patients lining up before dawn at public hospitals, waiting hours in cramped charity wards. Families stranded in flooded communities in Cebu and Bulacan, watching their livelihoods wash away.

Commuters trapped in endless gridlock while lawmakers soar past in helicopters and police convoys.

Teachers and students in underfunded schools scrambling for chairs, books, classrooms.

The poor pay the bill for governance. The powerful collect the dividends.

No wonder people have lost respect for these congressmen.

Hanggang ang mga kagulang-gulang nating mambabatas ay patuloy na ginagawang sandata ang kanilang posisyon para sa kayamanan at pananakot, mawawala ang kredibilidad ng Kongreso sa mata ng sambayanan.

Hanggang nananatili ang ganitong pamamalakad, walang dahilan upang kilalanin ang institusyon bilang tunay na lingkod ng bayan.

At sa ganitong kalagayan, tama ang Pangulong Marcos Jr. sa kanyang paalala sa nakaraang SONA: "Mahiya naman kayo.”

Maidagdag ko lang: Mayroon pa kaya kayo nun?

Ed Javier

Ed Javier is a veteran communicator with over 35 years of experience in corporate, government, and advocacy communications, spanning the terms of seven Philippine presidents. He is also a political analyst, entrepreneur, and media professional. Drawing on this experience, he delivers clear, accessible analysis of political, governance, and business issues.