Mc Richard Paglicawan
Nine women’s rights advocates have filed a complaint-affidavit before the Office of the Ombudsman (Philippines) against Quezon City 4th District Representative Bong Suntay, accusing him of violating several laws following his controversial remarks involving actress and television host Anne Curtis.
The complaint, submitted on March 6, was filed by nine complainants including members of World March of Women–Pilipinas and Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa.
In their complaint, the group alleged that Suntay violated several statutes, including:
- Safe Spaces Act (Republic Act No. 11313)
- Magna Carta of Women (Republic Act No. 9710)
- Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (Republic Act No. 6713)
They also said the lawmaker—who is a lawyer by profession—may have violated the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability.
The complainants asked Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to impose appropriate penalties against the congressman.
The case stems from Suntay’s remarks during a House Committee on Justice hearing on the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte.
In the hearing, Suntay used Curtis in an analogy while defending Duterte’s previous statements, describing a scenario in which he allegedly imagined sexual desire toward the actress.
The remarks quickly drew backlash online and from women’s rights groups, with one government agency describing the statement as a “declaration of predatory desire.”
The complainants emphasized that the Safe Spaces Act penalizes acts such as catcalling, leering, intrusive gazing, misogynistic slurs, and other forms of gender-based harassment.
Jean Enriquez, national coordinator of World March of Women–Pilipinas and one of the complainants, said intent is irrelevant under the law.
“Sa ilalim ng Safe Spaces Act, malinaw po na hindi mahalaga ang intensiyon. Kahit sinasabi niya na walang malisya kuno, ito po ay malum prohibitum. In and of itself, ito ay isang krimen.”
They also cited the Magna Carta of Women, which requires government officials to refrain from discrimination and to uphold women’s rights.
The complaint further argued that reducing women to objects of male desire constitutes discrimination.
“Human rights mores and norms clearly establish that reducing women to objects of male desire is discriminatory to women,” the complainants wrote.
Suntay is also facing a separate ethics complaint before the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges over the same remarks.
Earlier, the House authorized the committee to investigate the incident.
Suntay has since issued an apology, saying he was sorry “if some people were offended,” but maintained that his remarks were part of an analogy and were not malicious.
Meanwhile, his wife Shiela Guevara-Suntay also released a public statement apologizing to Curtis and distancing herself and their children from the lawmaker’s comments.
