Solon’s remark about Anne Curtis struck from record at impeachment hearing

Members of the House committee on Justice called out Quezon City Representative Bong Suntay over verbalizing his apparent desire for actress Anne Curtis during the House proceedings on the pending impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte.

This happened after Suntay argued that his thoughts about Curtis are not criminal, as he defended Duterte's remark about skipping the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July 2024 as the self-appointed "designated survivor."

The "designated survivor" concept in US politics refers to a government official in the presidential line of succession who is kept away from an event that convenes the government in one place in case of a catastrophic event. It is also the title of a television series about one such official after a bomb kills the president during his address to Congress.

Suntay—who also defended Duterte's declaration that she had contracted a hitman to kill the President if she were killed—said, “The statement being the designated survivor, it’s not illegal, it’s not criminal, in fact it’s a process in the United States. Hindi nga pwede ‘yon [sa Pilipinas] eh. Sinabi lang niya ‘yun. siguro nagpapatawa lang siya.”

(It's not allowed in the Philippines. She just said that. She was probably just joking.)

He then upped the ante by saying, “Lastly, alam niyo minsan, 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.”

(One time, I saw Anne Curtis, and she was so beautiful. You know, I had a desire inside me, I was heated. I imagined what could happen, but of course that stays in the imagination. But surely I can't be charged for what I imagined.)

This prompted House justice panel chairperson Belle Zamora of San Juan to move to strike Suntay’s comments off the record.

Suntay, however, maintained that he did nothing wrong.

“There is nothing sexual doon sa sinabi ko [in what I said], nothing immoral. It’s just, I said, may na-imagine ako [I imagined something], I think there is nothing wrong. I think we are starting a dangerous precedent because we are censuring manifestations which are neither illegal nor immoral,” he said.

But Manila Sixth District Representative Benny Abante was quick to reject Suntay’s reasoning and joined Zamora in her motion to remove such comments from the records.

Zamora added, “Madam Chair, it is just the start of the Women’s Month, and I don’t think that we should be hearing such comments from our dear colleagues.  We’re not censuring anything, but we are reminding them that in fact, we should support women by not saying these statements." 

The House justice panel eventually approved Zamora’s motion.

In a separate press conference, Zamora said Suntay’s comments were uncalled for.

“There’s no need for such comments in any hearing, anywhere. We were discussing the last impeachment allegation. Why make such example involving an actress, and a woman. It was offensive. It was uncalled for. It was irrelevant. And it was a conduct unbecoming of a congressman,” she said.

'Not a harmless comment'

The Gabriela party-list demanded a public apology from Suntay.

"Ang pagbabahagi ng kanyang imahinasyon tungkol sa isang babae—anumang dahilan—ay tahasang pambabastos at pag-objectify sa kababaihan," Representative Sarah Elago said in a statement.

(His sharing his 'imagination' about a woman, for any reason, is direct disrespect and objectification of women.)

"There is no place for sexism and objectification of women by public officials. We will continue to demand respect, uphold women's dignity, and push for accountability," she added.

The House Committee on Women and Gender Equality also condemned Suntay's words.

"Hindi ito simpleng biro o harmless na komento. Ang pagre-reduce sa isang babae bilang object of sexual imagination, lalo na sa opisyal na pagdinig, ay tahasang sexist at nakakahiya. Wala itong lugar sa anumang institusyong dapat nagtataguyod ng respeto at propesyonalismo," committee chair and Laguna Representative Ann Matibag said in a statement.

(This is not simply a joke or a harmless comment. Reducing a woman to an object of sexual imagination, especially at an official hearing, is definitely sexist and shameful. It has no place in any institution that supports respect and professionalism.)

"Public office demands discipline and accountability. Freedom of speech is never a free pass for misogyny. Hindi namin ito palalagpasin. Hindi namin ito ino-normalize," she added.

(We will not let this go. We will not normalize this.)

'Disappointing'

In a statement, Quezon City Major Joy Belmonte also called on Suntay—who represents the city's 4th District—to apologize for his "casual display of objectification."

What makes it "especially troubling," she added, "is the fact that, as a former member of our City Council, he was part of the body that passed our Gender and Development Code. Moreover, he was the majority floor leader of the city council when we passed the Bawal Bastos Ordinance, which declares that lewd, malicious, and demeaning remarks and acts have no place in public life. Quezon City instituted this policy in 2016—ahead of the national Safe Spaces Act."

Belmonte said Suntay should take accountability for his "inappropriate" remarks and "conduct himself with the dignity that his office—and our city—demand. Our people deserve no less."

'Disgusting'

Curtis's sister, actress Jasmine Curtis-Smith, also had some choice words for the congressman.

"Bong Suntay, would you want men talking about your daughters this way?" she said in an Instagram reel, adding three vomit emojis above a clip of him talking about her sister. "The fact that you don't find your statement as immoral is absolutely disgusting!!!!!" — BM, GMA Integrated News