The Philippine Army Reserve Command has recommended the removal of Cavite Representative Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Reserve Force after he urged soldiers, police, and reservists to join recent anti-corruption protests.
Barzaga, who holds the rank of private, was enlisted into the reserve force on January 10, 2025, under the National Capital Region Regional Community Defense Group.
Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-Ala said that the recommendation for delisting followed a thorough investigation and has already been elevated to higher headquarters for final action.
The case was based on General Headquarters Standard Operating Procedure No. 07, which outlines the rules for enlistment, extension, and delisting of AFP reservists.
According to Dema-Ala, Barzaga’s social media posts, including a September 16 Facebook post accusing the Marcos administration of corruption and calling on uniformed personnel to protest, constituted misconduct.
“His speeches and utterances on social media insinuating that the AFP, PNP, and reservists would join protests and declare loss of trust in the President constitute misconduct,” Dema-Ala said.
The Army said it is awaiting the final decision from higher headquarters.
