Congressman Briones to Viral e-Sabong Video Seen Hours Before SONA 2025 “Hingi ako nage-sabong.”
Congressman Briones has explained that viral cockfight video seen during house session, “Hingi ako nage-sabong.”
Congressman Nicanor Briones of the AGAP Party List recently addressed the online buzz surrounding a video of him appearing to watch a cockfight on his phone while inside the House of Representatives.
The video quickly circulated on social media and garnered various reactions from the online community, with some claiming he was engaged in online cockfighting or “e-sabong” during a session.
However, Briones clarified that the video wasn’t what people thought. According to him, he simply opened a message from a relative who sent a short clip of a mock cockfight. It was part of an invitation to support a traditional sabong event, which is far different from online gambling.
“Hindi ako nag-e-sabong. Sa totoo lang, may nag-message sa akin sa messenger. So, tinignan ko lang naman. Hindi ko naman akalain na mayroon palang magkukuha ng aking mga private messages,” Briones said.
“Pero okay lang ‘yun. Dahil malinis ang konsensya ko. Hindi naman ako nagsasabong… At fake news. Online sabong sinasabi…. Ni-wala akong money transfer na online. Hindi ako marunong, dahil old school tayo,” he added.
The latter said he watched the video for a moment out of courtesy and curiosity, not because he was betting or promoting it.
The government official added that he doesn’t participate in e-sabong and has never made any online bets. Being old-fashioned, he claims he doesn’t even know how online betting works. The congressman even showed the video to reporters to prove that it was only a practice fight used to invite him for a possible sponsorship, not an actual match with money involved.
Briones admitted that checking his phone during a session was inappropriate and apologized to the public and his fellow lawmakers. He stressed, however, that his only mistake was briefly opening the message.
Despite feeling wronged by those who secretly filmed and misinterpreted the moment, he said he chooses to forgive but warned against spreading false claims. He now plans to propose a bill to ban all forms of online gambling, including e-sabong.
Previously, a congressman caught watching online sabong hours before SONA 2025
The social media users expressed their reactions to his statement:
