Statement of the Philippine Commission on Women
on the Sexist and Objectifying Remarks of
Representative Bong Suntay
04 March 2026 — The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) strongly and unequivocally denounces the statement made by Representative Bong Suntay, during the House Committee on Justice hearing, who said: “Nakita ko si Anne Curtis… may desire sa loob ko na nag-init talaga.”
These words are NOT harmless expressions of respect. They are a public act of sexual objectification — a declaration of predatory desire directed at a woman, made openly, by a person who holds public trust and authority. They reduce a woman to an object of male desire, normalizing a culture of harassment that Filipino women experience every day in streets, workplaces, and public spaces. They are an affront not only to Ms. Anne Curtis, but to every Filipino woman who has been made to feel unsafe by the unbridled language of those in power.
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.
Legal and Policy Basis for Condemnation
Representative Suntay’s statement is not merely offensive — it is actionable under Philippine law and in direct violation of the ethical standards expected of every public servant.
Republic Act No. 11313 — The Safe Spaces Act (“Bawal Bastos Law”)
Under Section 3 of RA 11313, gender-based harassment includes “acts that use sexist, derogatory, and degrading remarks or gestures based on sex and gender.” Section 11 explicitly covers gender-based harassment in public spaces and online, punishable by fines and imprisonment. Public declarations of sexual desire directed at a specific woman, made in a manner that degrades her personhood, squarely fall within the scope of this law. Mr. Suntay’s words constitute an act of public, gender-based sexual harassment.
2. Republic Act No. 9710 — The Magna Carta of Women
Section 9 of the Magna Carta of Women guarantees women’s right to be free from all forms of violence and to be treated with dignity and respect in all spheres of life. The State is mandated to take action against all forms of gender-based discrimination and harassment, including those perpetuated by persons in authority. Public officials are held to a heightened standard precisely because their words carry the weight of institutional power. Representative Suntay’s statement undermines this mandate in its entirety.
3. Republic Act No. 6713 — Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees
Section 4 of RA 6713 requires that public officials at all times “respect the rights of others, and refrain from doing acts contrary to law, good morals, good customs, public policy, public order, public safety and public interest.” Public officials are expected to conduct themselves with the utmost professionalism and propriety. Remarks of a sexual nature directed at a private individual, made publicly and gratuitously, represent a serious breach of this Code.
4. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
As a State Party to CEDAW, the Philippines is bound by its obligation under Article 5 to work toward the elimination of prejudices, customs, and practices grounded on the idea of the inferiority of women or on stereotyped roles for women and men. Public officials who sexually objectify women in open forums actively perpetuate the very attitudes CEDAW demands that States dismantle.
Our Call to Action
The PCW calls on Representative Suntay to issue an immediate, unqualified public apology — not the kind that begins with “if anyone was offended,” but one that takes full and unambiguous responsibility for the harm his words have caused.
Beyond an apology, we strongly urge Representative Suntay to undergo gender sensitivity training, gender-fair communication and values formation training. These are not punitive measures — they are necessary steps toward understanding the real harm caused by the normalization of sexual objectification, and toward becoming a public servant who genuinely upholds the dignity of all constituents, particularly women. The PCW stands ready to facilitate referral to appropriate gender sensitivity programs.
We further call on the House Ethics Committee and to take appropriate administrative action in accordance with RA 6713. Silence or inaction from those in oversight positions would be tantamount to complicity in the normalization of harassment.
To Ms. Anne Curtis and to every Filipino woman who heard those words and felt the weight of being reduced to an object — the PCW sees you. Your dignity is not negotiable. Your personhood is not available for public consumption. You deserve better from those who hold public trust.
On the Deeper Issue
This incident is not isolated. It reflects a deeply entrenched culture that treats women’s bodies and personhood as subjects of male commentary, desire, and control. It reflects the very architecture of gender inequality that the PCW, through law, policy, and advocacy, exists to dismantle.
Public office is not merely a position of authority; it is a position of example.
We have waged legal and policy battles for women’s rights for decades — from the passage of the Magna Carta of Women to the Safe Spaces Act. But laws only work when those who make and enforce them live and breathe their spirit. Public officials must lead by example. They must be the first to model respect, restraint, and the recognition of every person’s fundamental dignity.
The Philippines has committed itself, through domestic law and international obligations, to advancing gender equality with ASEAN and the international community. These commitments are not symbolic — they demand consistency between what we legislate, what we advocate internationally, and how our public officials conduct themselves in national forums. That commitment rings hollow when our own public officials reduce women to objects of desire in public forums. We will not allow that commitment to be undermined.
Ang dignidad ng babae ay hindi paksa ng biro, pagnanasa, o komentaryo. Ito ay karapatang pantao na hindi dapat yurakan ng kahit sino, lalo pa ng isang mambabatas ng Kongreso.