Women’s rights advocates file ethics raps vs Suntay over his sexist remark

By Nash Villena, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
March 5, 2026

(Photo courtesy: Fran Reyes/Facebook)

MANILA, Philippines — Women’s rights advocates filed an ethics complaint against Quezon City 4th District Rep. Bong Suntay for his controversial remarks on actress Anne Curtis during a Tuesday justice panel hearing on an impeachment complaint against the vice president.

Accompanied by Gabriela Rep. Sarah Elago, the complainants cited Suntay’s lack of remorse over his misogynistic remarks toward Curtis, despite apologizing to the public several times for the outrage it has triggered since the incident.

“Pag-aralan niya ang batas kasi mambabatas siya. [At] dahil mambabatas siya, dapat mas mabigat ang parusa niya kaysa sa ibang tao,” ex-Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza told the press after complaint filing.

(He should study the law because he’s a lawmaker. And because he’s a lawmaker, the reprimand should bear more weight compared to other people.)

In media interviews, Suntay consistently defended his “harmless” words to the actress, saying it was only a mere figment of his imagination and that he had not seen her in person.

He argued that it was his point for sharing it, to refute Vice President Sara Duterte’s criminal intent on her public announcement back then, threatening the life of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which is among the grounds for her third impeachment complaint.

“[Anne Curtis] should take it as a compliment, that I feel, and I believe that she’s very beautiful,” Suntay said in a One News interview, adding that his words were taken out of context by the media.

Suntay’s indirect remarks about women, however, have received collective pushback from various personalities and women’s rights groups, all while the country celebrates its annual National Women’s Month.

Anne’s sister, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, stressed in a post that such a sexual innuendo coming from an elected official only reinforces a culture of impunity that objectifies women, rather than seeing them as complex individuals.

“This moment is not about one female celebrity. It is about how ALL WOMEN, regardless of profession, continue to be reduced to bodies in spaces dominated by men in power,” she said.

“Respect is not complicated. If we want [a] safer environment for our daughters, nieces, and future leaders, accountability must begin with those elected to represent us,” she added.

QC LGU PUSHES BACK

The officials from the QC government itself strongly opposed Suntay’s remarks and their misalignment with the city’s values, which are known for championing gender empowerment through its policies and ordinances.

The city council said in a statement that the demeaning and objectification of women has no place in public discourse and is a “direct affront to the values of respect and gender equality” that the local government stands for.

QC Mayor Joy Belmonte, meanwhile, expressed her disappointment and concern over the troubling fact that Suntay was a former council member who helped pass the city’s Gender and Development Code in 2016 and push for the passage of the Bawal Bastos Ordinance ahead of the nationwide Safe Spaces Act of 2019.

“Thus, it is clear to me: We must not hesitate to push back against any act that undermines the dignity of our women. We must continue to stand for their safety, dignity, and equality—without exception and without compromise.”

AFFRONT TO SAFE SPACES ACT

In a Wednesday statement, the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) took a defiant stance against the congressman’s “sexist and objectifying” words, underscoring that these words are not a harmless expression of respect but a declaration of predatory desire directed at a woman.

“The statement bears the hallmarks of gender-based sexual harassment as defined under Republic Act No. 11313. And when it comes from a public official, it is a serious betrayal of public trust and a violation of the law,” PCW noted.

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) acknowledged in its Thursday statement that while Suntay has already issued his apologies and clarified his message, grievances raised cannot be dismissed as mere “sensitivities”.

“Regardless of intent, remarks that sexualize or demean women undermine the country’s hard-earned progress toward gender equality and reinforce attitudes that trivialize harassment and discrimination,” CHR said.

“The Commission on Human Rights calls on all public officials to exercise discernment, responsibility, and respect in both speech and conduct. Public office demands a higher standard. One that reflects a genuine commitment to equality and to the dignity and rights of every person.”