AGAP Partylist Representative Nicanor Briones has denied allegations that he was engaging in online sabong after a video surfaced showing him allegedly watching what appeared to be a cockfight on his mobile phone.

In an interview on Thursday, Briones clarified that the video — which quickly drew public speculation — did not involve any betting activity. He claimed it was not gambling, but what he described as a “practice sabong.”

“Is that the one where roosters fight without blades and it’s not held in an actual cockpit? I think they call it practice sabong, where you test your roosters,” Briones said in Filipino.

The lawmaker maintained he does not participate in cockfights or visit cockpits, and said anyone is free to verify the claims against him by any means they prefer.

According to Briones, the video was sent to him via a messaging app by a niece or nephew, and he opened it out of curiosity.

“I checked to see what it was, and it turns out we were being invited to join a traditional cockfight. That’s why it was shown to me — so I got curious about what was in the Messenger message, and that’s why I looked,” he explained.

Briones said he even showed the video to members of the media and emphasized that it was not a formal cockfight, in an effort to prove his claim.

He also expressed frustration toward the person who recorded him without his knowledge, saying there was no effort to verify what he was watching.

“I don’t even know how to do that. I don’t have GCash or any kind of online cash transfer that I can use. I don’t know how it works, so I wish I had at least been asked about it first, instead of immediately being accused that I’m gambling through online sabong,” he said in Filipino.

Briones apologized to the public and his colleagues but criticized the video recording as a violation of the Data Privacy Act.

“I was waiting for the person to admit that it was me they were referring to, because that’s a serious violation of our rights. It’s something that shouldn’t be meddled with,” he said in Filipino.

The congressman said he decided to face the media to clear his name, emphasizing that he has nothing to hide and that his conscience is clear.