THE House Committee on Ethics and Privileges has created a reconciliation subcommittee that will mediate all cases filed before it, but House Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno made it clear on Monday that reconciliation is not an option in the ethics complaint against Cavite Rep. Francisco Barzaga.
In an interview, Puno said the complaint he and 28 other members of the National Unity Party (NUP) filed against Barzaga was not a personal grievance but a matter that strikes at the integrity of the House of Representatives as an institution.
‘We filed this complaint because we want standards of behavior to be established in Congress,’ he said. ‘Is it acceptable to post obscene photos on our website? To insult women? To tell young people to become congressmen to get rich? If that’s considered acceptable, then the Ethics committee should say so. But I believe such behavior must be prohibited.’
Puno added that Barzaga’s conduct has caused ‘significant damage’ to the image of the House and that members of Congress should be held to higher ethical standards, particularly during plenary sessions.
Barzaga, for his part, welcomed the opportunity for a hearing before the Ethics panel, saying it would allow both sides to express their views.
He acknowledged the possible outcomes of the case-including suspension, removal, or even imprisonment-but maintained that he had done nothing wrong.
Puno, however, insisted that Barzaga’s statements and behavior reflected lower standards than the average person, adding that the Ethics Committee must take decisive action to set a clear precedent for acceptable conduct among legislators.
The Ethics committee, which held a closed-door hearing on Monday morning, is expected to deliberate on whether the case will proceed to formal hearings following the creation of its new reconciliation subcommittee.