Suarez: Rep. Bertiz hospitalized due to chest pains

FILE: ACTS-OFW Rep. Aniceto “John” Bertiz III (Photo: Cong. John Bertiz/Facebook)

After he was criticized earlier this week over his video at an airport, ACTS-OFW Party-list Representative Ancieto “John” Bertiz III is now confined in a hospital.

This was confirmed by House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez in a press briefing on Wednesday, October 3.

According to Suarez, Bertiz has been at the hospital since Tuesday due to chest pains.

“He is still confined,” he said, adding that Bertiz had earlier undergone angioplasty.

This development came amid the backlash that Bertiz received following his viral video where he confronted a male security checker at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) over the weekend.

In the video clip, Bertiz can be seen passing through a metal detector at the airport when the security checker appears to tell him to remove his shoes as part of the airport security protocol.

But instead of removing his shoes, the lawmaker flashed his identification card (ID) to the security checker’s face and later on snatched the latter’s ID off his jacket.

Bertiz had apologized for the way he acted at the airport, however, he further earned the ire of many, especially women, after he blamed his “monthly period” for his outburst.

Suarez said the incident at the NAIA should serve as a reminder for members of the lower chamber to adhere to Republic Act (RA) No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

“We do not condone his misconduct,” he stressed.

The House minority bloc earlier said it is eyeing to file an ethics complaint against Bertiz, but the latter himself already filed House Resolution (HR) No. 2212 directing the House committee on ethics and privileges to look into the NAIA incident.

“This is an opportunity for Cong. Bertiz to undergo due process and for the public to know what truly transpired in the said incident,” Suarez said.

Bertiz was earlier criticized for jesting that the new batch of agricultural and biosystems engineers will not get their Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) licenses if they do not know Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher “Bong” Go.