At the heart of the slogan, No More Hell Run By Filipinos, are politicians. Especially performative politicians who use the government as their stage to act out their antics. Congressman Barzaga embodies that kind of negative personality which the Philippines does not need. He calls himself "Congressmeow" because he loves cats and post pictures of cats all over his social media. That is enough to write him off as someone showboating rather than governing.
However, recently this ill-informed actor recently claimed in a Facebook post he is in favor of administering the death penalty to animal abusers.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2025/08/02/death-penalty-for-animal-cruelty-yes-says-congressmeow-barzaga |
Cavite 4th district Rep. Francis "Kiko" Barzaga loathes abusers of defensless animals--so much that he believes they deserve to be executed by firing squad.This should come as no surprise though, given that Barzaga refers to himself as "congressmeow" and is known for his fondness for animals especially cats and dogs."Animal Cruelty is an injustice that has no place in our society, I propose a legislation that provides death penalty by firing squad to animal abusers," the proudly eccentric solon wrote on his Facebook Saturday night, Aug. 2.Barzaga, a neophyte lawmaker in the 20th Congress, earlier said he would "create laws for stray asodogs at posacats".It was only last month when he said in a similar post that extreme recidivist litterers should also be meted with the death penalty, although he didn't mention by which method. The firing squad is a manner of execution that ensures swift--but not painless--death.It remains ro be seen if Barzaga will follow through with these proposals by filing actual bills in the House of Representatives.The Philippines currently doesnt have capital punishment. The death penalty was abolished in 2006 during the time of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.Lethal injection was the method used the last time that death penalty was carried out in the Philippines.
Ah, yes. Barzaga is proudly eccentric. So says the Manila Bulletin. A more competent editor would have chosen "the dangerously ignorant and selfish Solon" or something more vituperative. The ignorance comes through in the fact that not only has the Philippines abolished the death penalty but it has also signed a treaty to never revive it.
The Philippines is a party to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights the Philippines is prohibited from carrying out the death penalty.
What is the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights?
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is a multilateral treaty that commits states parties to respect the civil and political rights of individuals, including the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, electoral rights and rights to due process and a fair trial. It was adopted by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2200A (XXI) on 16 December 1966 and entered into force 23 March 1976 after its thirty-fifth ratification or accession. As of June 2022, the Covenant has 173 parties and six more signatories without ratification, most notably the People's Republic of China and Cuba; North Korea is the only state that has tried to withdraw.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Covenant_on_Civil_and_Political_Rights
The Philippines signed the treaty in 1966, it was ratified in 1986, and finally entered into force in 1987.
The Second Optional Protocol is an optional subsidiary agreement of the ICCPR.
The Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, is a subsidiary agreement to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It was created on 15 December 1989 and entered into force on 11 July 1991. As of April 2022, the Optional Protocol has 90 state parties. The most recent country to ratify was Kazakhstan, on 24 March 2022.
The Optional Protocol commits its members to the abolition of the death penalty within their borders, though Article 2.1 allows parties to make a reservation allowing execution "in time of war pursuant to a conviction for a most serious crime of a military nature committed during wartime" (Brazil, Chile, El Salvador). Cyprus, Malta and Spain initially made such reservations, and subsequently withdrew them. Azerbaijan and Greece still retain this reservation on their implementation of the protocol, despite both having banned the death penalty in all circumstances. (Greece has also ratified Protocol no.13 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which abolishes capital punishment for all crimes).
The Philippines signed this agreement in 2006 and it was ratified in 2007. Reinstating the death penalty would signal to the world that the Philippines does not honor binding international agreements. If the Philippines will not honor international treaties then there is no reason for any nation to honor The Hague ruling on the West Philippine Sea. Read more here.
Just a few months ago in December, 2024 the Philippines voted in the UN General Assembly in favor of a global ban on the death penalty.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/12/20/ph-votes-in-favor-of-global-ban-on-death-penalty |
The Philippines has voted in favor of a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution banning the death penalty across the world.
The Philippines was among the 130 countries that favored the global moratorium on death penalty; while 32 voted against.
Twenty-two countries abstained in the voting.
The resolution expressed deep concern about the continued application of the death penalty and reaffirmed the sovereign right of all countries to develop their own legal systems, including determining appropriate legal penalties, in accordance with their international law obligations.It also called upon all states to establish a moratorium on executions, with a view to abolishing the death penalty, as well as recalled duty of states, regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Either Barzaga knows this information or he does not. If he does not know it then he is ignorant of Philippine politics and has no business being in high office. If he does know this then he is, as was said, a performative politician using the Congress as his stage.
Whatever the matter, the Philippines does not need men like Barzaga. He is the type of fool who keeps the Philippines as the hell that it is.
After writing all that in August, 2025 it turns out that Barzaga is a man full of theatrics.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2025/09/18/kiko-barzaga-strikes-again-invites-garin-to-join-independent-meow-bloc |
Self-proclaimed "congressmeow" Cavite 4th district Rep. Francisco "Kiko" Barzaga intends to form an 'independent meow bloc' in the House of Representatives.
This was shared Thursday, Sept. 18 by Deputy Speaker Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin, Barzaga's seat mate in House plenary.
Barzaga--known for his inordinate fondness for cats--recently bolted the majority bloc under then-Speaker Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez and abstained from supporting the latter's predecessor, Isabela 6th district Rep. Faustino "Bojie" Dy III.
He also isn't listed among the 27 members of the minority bloc under 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino "Nonoy" Libanan, or even the independent Davao bloc.
"That's why we asked him, which faction is he with, the majority or minority," Garin said in a virtual interview.
"Apparently, he wanted to create an independent 'meow bloc'. So there, he was also recruiting me, but I said no because I'm with the majority," she said.
Barzaga, 27, went off the rails following his exit from the majority and has been badmouthing various government officials--including President Marcos, Romualdez, Dy, and Garin--via quote cards on his Facebook.
The National Unity Party (NUP), his former political party, earlier announced that it was going to pursue an ethics case against the eccentric solon.
It's not that he wants to be independent. There is noting wrong with rejecting the majority and minority. The issue is that he has to turn it into a performance by forming an "independent meow bloc" which he knows no one is going to join. Why would they join? It's stupid and unnecessary. It's further proof this man should not be involved in the governing of the Philippines.
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