Elpidio Barzaga, Jr.

Elpido "Pidi" Frani Barzaga, Jr. (born March 25, 1950 in Dasmariñas, Cavite) is a Filipino politician from the province of Cavite. He is the current Mayor of Dasmariñas who also previously represented the city in the Philippine House of Representatives.

He is the son of Elpidio Mangubat Barzaga, Sr. and Magdalena Gelle Frani, both natives of Dasmariñas.

Education

Barzaga graduated as Valedictorian of the Class of 1966 of Immaculate Conception Academy. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree cum laude from the San Beda College, he completed his Bachelor of Law Degree from the Far Eastern University magna cum laude.

After college, he taught law at the Far Eastern University Institute of Law from 1976 to 1992 and was a Bar Reviewer in Civil Law from 1983 to 1992.

Political career

Mayor of Dasmariñas

Barzaga was elected Municipal Mayor of Dasmariñas in 1998 and served in that office for nine years. On 2007 defeated the incumbent Gilbert Remulla for the House of Representatives seat for the Second District of Cavite. His wife Jennifer succeeded Barzaga as mayor of Dasmariñas.

Congressman

In the House of Representatives, Barzaga serves as vice chairman the Committees on Constitutional Amendments, Local Government, and Revision of Laws and is a member of the Committees on Appropriations, Civil Service and Professional Regulation, Good Government, Human Rights, Justice, Population and Family Relations, Public Works and Highways, Science and Technology, Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, Transportation, Veteran Affairs and Welfare and the Special Committee on Southern Tagalog Development.^[1]

He figured prominently on issues concerning Meralco, Sulpicio Lines, the Impeachment Complaint, and Alabang Boys. He has authored and sponsored several bills including an act converting the Municipality of Dasmariñas into a component city,^[2] a resolution requesting an investigation into oil prices, a resolution requesting an investigation into bidding on updating the Subic Bay Freeport Zone master development plan, and a resolution requesting an investigation of environmental issues during the construction of a casino in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

In 2009, along with fellow representatives of Cavite Joseph Emilio Abaya and Jesus Crispin Remulla, Barzaga co-authored an act, unofficially titled The Cavite Congressional Reapportionment Act of 2009, bringing the representatives of Cavite from three to seven.^[3]

In 2010 congressional elections he was won via landslide victory against his close opponent Ramon Campos of the Nacionalista Party.

Serving as part of the House Prosecution panel, Barzaga was responsible for Article II of the 2012 Impeachment of SC Chief Justice Renato Corona. Ironically, he is paired against his Remedial law professor from his law school days, former Assoc. Justice Serafin Cuevas, who is serving as lead defense counsel.

In 2013 elections, he will run again for his last term under the National Unity Party as well to Liberal Party.

In 2015, he was criticized by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines for threatening to cite Christine F. Herrera of The Standard in contempt, after the latter refused to name her sources of the alleged payola given to solons to railroad the passage of the controversial Bangsamoro Basic Law or BBL. Barzaga is one of the solons who voted "Yes" for the passage of BBL in committee level.

He will support the candidacy of Sec. Mar Roxas for the upcoming 2016 polls, hinting to run against Gov. Jonvic Remulla for the upcoming gobernatrial elections. Barzaga predicts Sen. Grace Poe-Llamanzares could not run under as Running mate of Roxas, and instead she will run under the Nationalist Peoples Coalition, and the idea of Roxas-Aquino tandem to back against Grace-Chiz tandem.^[4] Barzaga decline to run as Governor against Remulla, and instead he run again as Mayor.

Awards and honors

In 2008, he was the recipient of the Outstanding Alumnus Award from the Far Eastern University on the celebration of its 80th Founding Anniversary and the Most Distinguished Bedan Award from the San Beda College. He was acknowledged as one of the Most Outstanding Congressman of 2008 by the Congress Magazine.

Personal life

He is married to Jennifer Austria Barzaga, a registered nurse. They have three sons – Francisco, Elpidio III, and Lorenzo.

References