Insider Spotlight
What happened
In a complaint-affidavit submitted to the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office on Jan. 14, 2026, Razon said Barzaga posted statements on Facebook accusing him of being “the mastermind behind the corruption in Congress” and of bribing members of the National Unity Party during gatherings at Solaire Resort to secure support for former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
In a statement sent to InsiderPH, Razon's office denied the accusations, saying they were knowingly false or made with reckless disregard for the truth.
The social media posts
Barzaga published the allegations on Jan. 9, 2026 on his public Facebook page. Although the posts were later deleted, Razon said they had already been widely shared and republished by local media outlets, including the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Balita, and Ang Balita Ngayon.
According to the complaint, the posts reached thousands of users within minutes and were seen by Razon’s colleagues and staff, amplifying the alleged damage to his reputation.
Why it matters
Razon’s filing argues that Barzaga’s statements crossed the line from protected political speech into criminal defamation. Under Philippine law, libel is the public and malicious imputation of a crime or act that tends to discredit or dishonor a person. When committed using a computer system, including social media platforms, it is punished as cyber libel under the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
Razon said all elements of cyber libel were present, citing the public nature of the Facebook posts, their alleged malice, and the fact that he was specifically named. He also pointed to Barzaga’s use of the hashtag “#IkulongSiRazon,” meaning “Jail Razon,” as underscoring the criminal nature of the accusations.
Context
The case adds to Barzaga’s recent controversies. Last Dec. 1, 2025, the House of Representatives suspended him for 60 days without pay after an ethics inquiry found that he used his social media accounts to post lewd and degrading material and content deemed damaging to the image of Congress.
What’s next
Razon is seeking two counts of cyber libel and at least P100 million in moral damages and P10 million in exemplary damages. Prosecutors in Makati will determine whether to proceed with criminal charges, with venue anchored on Razon’s place of residence.
