AGAP Party-List Representative Nicanor Briones
REPRESENTATIVE Nicanor Briones of the AGAP party-list has lost his seat on the Commission on Appointments (CA) following the online circulation of a video appearing to show him watching a cockfight video during a House session on Monday.
A source within the House confirmed that Briones, a member of the minority bloc, was initially slated to represent the House in the 12-member CA.
However, his admission to being in the viral video led to his replacement by Representative Allan Ty of the LPGMA party-list.
The CA seat carries significant benefits, including increased funding, additional office space, and extra staff with supplemental emoluments.
Briones’ removal highlights the potential consequences of actions perceived as incompatible with the responsibilities of a high-ranking government official. The incident also involved Representative Sergio Dagooc of the APEC party-list, who was seen playing digital billiards on his phone.
While Briones admitted to watching a cockfight video, he denied engaging with the online gambling platform e-sabong. The incident underscores the growing scrutiny of lawmakers’ behavior and the potential impact of social media on political careers.
