Lawmaker under fire for watching e-sabong match during 20th Congress opening
A lawmaker is under fire after he was spotted watching an e-sabong match on his phone during the opening of the 20th Congress on Monday, July 28.
According to a post from The Philippine STAR late Tuesday, July 29, he was watching the online cockfighting session during the voting session for the next House Speaker.
The man's identity wasn't confirmed as his back was turned from the camera. His eyeglasses can be seen perched on his forehead while he's navigating his phone.
A closer shot showed a match with the text, "1st Fight Left Side" and "2nd Fight Right Side."
The post has garnered over 64,000 reactions (51,000 of which are "Haha" and 9,000 "Angry"), 4,500 comments, and 7,200 shares.
Many users in the comments section were quick to memeify the incident.
"While the nation was choosing a House Speaker, this guy was busy choosing a featherweight champion," one user said in an apparent wordplay.
Others expressed their disappointment.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is where our taxes go," one user said.
"Bawal mag-cellphone while on paid working hours. Isabatas din. What a joke," a user said in One News' repost.
STAR columnist Pia Roces Morato reshared the original post with the caption, "Que horrores."
Many commenters also expressed their desire for the man's identity to be known.
The sabong photo came amid the missing sabungeros issue that has been intensifying for weeks.
Authorities have been looking for their remains at the Taal Lake, which, according to whistleblower Julie Patidongan, served as a dumping ground for over 100 missing cockfight enthusiasts. They found sacks containing bones and sand, and have yet to wrap up their investigation.
The viral photos also came amid growing concerns about online gambling.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the lawmaker had a bet placed on the match or was simply watching.
Later in the day, 19th Congress House Speaker Martin Romualdez was re-elected in the 20th Congress by a landslide with 269 votes.
The day culminated with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. delivering his fourth State of the Nation Address, where he vowed that the people behind the abduction and disappearance of the sabungeros will be held accountable.
