Lawmaker Bong Suntay Faces Formal Complaints Over Remarks About Anne Curtis
BONG SUNTAY – A controversial statement involving actress Anne Curtis has placed lawmaker Bong Suntay at the center of a growing political and social debate.
Quezon City Fourth District Representative Bong Suntay is facing formal complaints over alleged violations of laws protecting women and regulating the conduct of public officials after making controversial remarks that sparked public criticism.
The complaint was filed by World March of Women Pilipinas (WMW-Pilipinas) before the Office of the Ombudsman. Members of the group marched while carrying a banner that read “Hold Misogynists Accountable,” highlighting their call for greater accountability from government officials. The action was held in the days leading up to International Women’s Day on March 8.
According to reports, the complaint accuses Suntay of violating the Safe Spaces Act, the Magna Carta of Women, and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials.
Nine individuals signed the complaint, including Jean Enriquez, National Coordinator of WMW-Pilipinas, and Joanna Coronacion from Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa-Women.
The controversy arose from remarks Suntay made during a deliberation of the House Committee on Justice. In the discussion, he defended a previous statement made by Sara Duterte about “imagining” harm toward Ferdinand Marcos Jr. To illustrate his point, Suntay referenced actress Anne Curtis and said he once felt “desire” when he saw her in public but could only “imagine” what might happen.
The remark quickly drew backlash from various groups and social media users who described it as inappropriate and offensive.
On Thursday, Suntay acknowledged that his statement was poorly chosen. He admitted that using a se*xual fantasy as an example was a mistake and said, “There could have been a better analogy.”
He also issued a public apology, saying, “Nag-a-apologize ako sa mga taong nasaktan. That analogy should not have been made. If people would want to judge me, yung pagkatao ko based from one statement and forget everything I’ve done in public service since 1998, then I cannot fault them.”
He further stated, “That mistake has been made… May backlash ‘yan. I deserve the backlash.”
Aside from the Ombudsman complaint, Suntay is also facing a separate ethics complaint in the House of Representatives.
Advocacy groups and observers are now closely watching how the case will be handled, as it has renewed discussions about respect, gender sensitivity, and the expected standards of behavior among public officials in the Philippines.
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