Actress and host Anne Curtis on Saturday finally spoke out on viral ‘vulgar and sexualized’ remarks made by Quezon City 4th District Rep. Bong Suntay earlier this week during a House hearing.
“In a social media post, Curtis explained that it took her some time to respond, as she was focused on being reunited with her family, who had been stranded in the Middle East, and is now safely back home in the Philippines.
She emphasized that speaking out was ”not for revenge or drama,” but because remaining silent would be wrong for herself, and for every woman watching.
“A vulgar, sexualized analogy. My name disgustingly used without my consent, in the wrong context, and more importantly, without an ounce of respect. My initial reaction was one of shock. I was hurt, disturbed by how perverted it was, and angry.”
“What happened to me isn't rare. It happens to women every day... in offices, in group chats, in rooms where men think no one is listening, or worse, in rooms where they know everyone is and simply don't care. What made this incident different is that it came from someone holding public office,” she added.
Curtis firmly rejected Suntay’s apology, stating, “I do not accept your non-apology. But I also will not carry this as a personal wound.”
She stressed that the incident highlights a broader culture that tolerates misogyny, especially from those in power.
“You’ve become the poster boy of something much bigger: a culture that still thinks it’s acceptable to talk about women this way… As they say, misogyny dressed up as a joke is still misogyny. You hold a seat paid for by taxpayers. Women are taxpayers. I am a taxpayer.”
”We are not props in your commentary,” she added.
The actress also emphasized ”any leader who cannot respect women does not understand leadership at all. Respecting women, after all, is simply basic decency.”
Curtis urged the House ethics committee to take action, and she said she is seeking legal advice while considering her options.
At the same time, Curtis accepted the apology of Suntay’s wife, Sheila Guevarra Suntay, acknowledging the “embarrassment and helplessness” of being caught in a situation not of one’s making. She also asked the public to leave their children out of the controversy.
“To her, and to your children: this is not your shame. Please know that. And I hope everyone reading this extends them the same grace. They did nothing wrong, and they deserve to be left out of it entirely,” she noted.
“Now, what I will carry is the responsibility to say clearly, on behalf of every woman who has ever been spoken about this way: We deserve better. Not just now, while this topic is a hot issue, but every single day…Every time a woman is reduced to a cheap remark by someone holding a position of public trust, and nothing happens… we tell the next generation of women exactly where they stand.”
Earlier, in a post on her Facebook account, Curtis’ legal counsel, Gorriceta Africa Cauton and Saavedra, denounced Suntay’s remarks as “inappropriate and unacceptable.”
The controversy stems from comments Suntay made during House of Representatives proceedings on the pending impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte. Suntay described his attraction to Curtis while defending Duterte’s previous statements:
“Alam n’yo 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.”
Curtis’ family—including her sister, actress Jasmine Curtis-Smith, and their mother, Carmen Curtis—publicly condemned Suntay’s remarks, while numerous celebrities and netizens also voiced their disapproval on social media.
Suntay’s wife, released a statement on Thursday distancing herself and their children from the lawmaker’s comments and apologizing to Curtis and her family.
