Bastos Ka, Congressman! Women's Groups Slap Suntay with Ombudsman Complaint Over Anne Curtis Remarks

Rep. Bong Suntay of Quezon City's 4th District just can't shake off the backlash — and now it's getting legal. Nine women's rights advocates from groups like World March of Women-Pilipinas and Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa-Women filed a complaint-affidavit against the congressman at the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday, March 6.

The complaint accuses Suntay of violating the Safe Spaces Act (RA 11313), the Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710), the Code of Conduct for Public Officials (RA 6713), and the Code of Professional Responsibility for lawyers. All this stems from his sexually suggestive remarks about actress Anne Curtis during the House impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte on March 3.

Suntay claimed he was just making an 'analogy' to defend the VP's threats against President Marcos, pero walang bumili. WMW-Pilipinas national coordinator Jean Enriquez said it clearly: 'Hindi mahalaga ang intensiyon. This is malum prohibitum — in and of itself, it is a crime.' She added that a simple apology and striking the remarks from congressional records are simply not enough.

The timing makes it even worse — March is Women's Month. 'Panagutin natin ang lahat ng mga bastos,' said Jelen Paclarin of the Women's Legal and Human Rights Bureau. Even Suntay's own wife, Sheila Guevara, publicly apologized to Curtis, saying their family 'does not agree with and does not condone' the remarks.

This Ombudsman complaint is on top of a separate ethics complaint filed by Gabriela Women's Party at the House of Representatives. The House has also authorized its ethics committee to investigate. Ang dami nang kaso, Congressman — baka mas maganda tumahimik na lang.

Source: Rappler