Team DailyPedia
Several lawmakers called out Quezon City Representative Bong Suntay for making remarks about actress Anne Curtis during a House Committee on Justice hearing on impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte.
The incident occurred while Suntay was arguing against the third impeachment complaint, which cited allegations of political destabilization, sedition, and insurrection.
In defending Duterte’s earlier “designated survivor” remark, Suntay maintained that unenforceable statements and mere thoughts are not punishable offenses.
To illustrate his point, he referenced a personal anecdote involving Curtis.
“Alam niyo minsan, nasa Shangri-La ako, nakita ko si Anne Curtis, ang ganda-ganda pala niya. You know, may desire sa loob ko na, nag-init talaga, na-imagine ko na lang kung ano’ng pwedeng mangyari pero siyempre hanggang imagination na lang ‘yon. Pero ‘di naman siguro ako pwedeng kasuhan kung ano ang na-imagine ko eh,” Suntay said during the hearing.
San Juan Representative Ysabel Maria “Belle” Zamora, vice chairperson of the committee, immediately moved to strike Suntay’s remarks from the official record.
“Madam Chair, I would like to have those statements stricken off the record,” Zamora said.
Suntay objected, insisting there was “nothing sexual” or immoral about his statement.
“There is nothing sexual doon sa sinabi ko, nothing immoral. It’s just, I said, may na-imagine ako. I think there is nothing wrong,” he argued.
Manila Sixth District Representative Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. joined Zamora in pushing to have the comments deleted from the proceedings.
Zamora later underscored that such remarks were inappropriate, particularly at the start of Women’s Month.
“There’s no need for such comments in any hearing, anywhere. It was offensive. It was uncalled for. It was irrelevant. And it was conduct unbecoming of a congressman,” she said in a separate press conference.
The House justice panel ultimately approved the motion to strike Suntay’s remarks from the official record.
