Man in viral PRC video a lawmaker, apologizes for Bong Go 'joke'

ACTS OFW party-list Representative John Bertiz III on Wednesday apologized for the joke he uttered during the oath-taking ceremony of engineering board examination passers with the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC), a video of which went viral on social media recently.

"This is to sincerely apologize on what happened in the recent Mass Oath Taking Ceremony of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers," Bertiz said in a press conference.

"I didn't mean to anger, belittle, or offend in any way. It was an inappropriate joke, and I really feel sorry for it," he added.

In the video, Bertiz was heard asking the inductees if they knew Special Assistant to the President Bong Go, which received "boos" from the audience.

Bertiz went on to say: "Ang hindi nakakakilala kay Secretary Bong Go, walang PRC license mamaya."

The lawmaker drew flak from netizens for the incident.

Bertiz, who said he was at the PRC event to represent Go, said he only was only trying to do comedy.

"Ako, just like a comedian, I just cracked a joke na, 'Sino ang hindi pumalakpak, mamamatay.' It's the same thing, ang joke ko kasi, 'Kung sino ang hindi nakakakilala kay Secretary Bong Go, will not get a PRC license,'" Bertiz said.

"I take full responsibility on that joke, and I really apologize," he added.

Bertiz said that Go had nothing to do with the joke. Bertiz also congratulated the 851 new agricultural and biosystems engineers who took their oath. —JST, GMA News