Billionaire businessman Enrique Razon Jr. has filed a cyber libel complaint against Cavite Representative Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga, accusing the lawmaker of spreading defamatory allegations on social media ahead of the 2025 Philippine elections.
The complaint, lodged on 14 January at the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office, stems from Facebook posts made by Barzaga on 9 January linking Razon to bribery and corruption.
In his complaint-affidavit, Razon said the posts portrayed him as “the mastermind of corruption in Congress” and alleged that he bribed members of the National Unity Party to secure political support for former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Razon, who chairs global ports operator International Container Terminal Services Inc and casino firm Bloomberry Resorts, has firmly denied the accusations, describing them as false and made with reckless disregard for the truth.
Although the posts have since been deleted, they were widely shared and republished by local media, prompting Razon to argue that the statements went beyond protected political speech and crossed into criminal defamation under cyber libel laws.
He is seeking two counts of cyber libel alongside civil damages of at least PHP100 million for moral damages and an additional PHP10 million in exemplary damages, citing reputational harm and emotional distress.
Barzaga is already serving a 60-day suspension without pay from the House of Representatives following an ethics committee probe into his use of social media for posting lewd and degrading content.
Makati prosecutors will now review Razon’s complaint to determine whether the case will proceed to court.