House orders ethics probe into Bong Suntay's remarks; ethics complaint filed

The House of Representatives has ordered a formal investigation into Quezon City 4th District Rep. Bong Suntay's lewd remarks on Anne Curtis at a recent House hearing.

This came after House Committee on Women and Gender Equality Chair Ann Matibag asked for Suntay’s comments to be referred to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges. The motion received no objections.

According to News5, an ethics complaint was also filed against Suntay on Thursday, March 5.

Women's rights advocates, accompanied by Gabriela Rep. Sarah Elago, submitted the complaint.

Suntay made the inappropriate comments about Curtis during a House Committee on Justice hearing for impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte on March 3.

Trying to point out that Duterte's past statements against President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. were just products of her imagination, Suntay shared during the hearing, "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 lang 'yon."

"Hindi naman siguro ako pwedeng kasuhan dahil kung ano na-imagine ko, eh," he added later. 

In subsequent interviews about his comments, Suntay initially said these were supposed to be taken as a compliment, adding that they were made as an analogy.  

"Sinabi ko ang ganda-ganda niya. And I think she should take it as a compliment that I feel and I believe that she's very beautiful," Suntay told One News anchor Ed Lingao and journalist Manuel Mogato. 

Later on, he apologized but maintained there was nothing malicious about what he said. 

"I stand by the statement that I made, that analogy that I made. But if some people were offended, lalo na Women's Month, I'm sorry for those who were offended. But if you read the context talaga, there was nothing malicious in it. Depende kung nilagyan ng malice nung nagbasa," he said in a DZMM interview. 

The congressman granted an ambush interview on Wednesday morning, as well, cited by GMA News, where he finally mentioned Curtis' name in his statement. 

"Kay Ms. Anne Curtis din, kung nasaktan siya sa sinabi, uulitin ko, there was no malice intended at tayo [ay] humihingi ng dispensa sa kanya. Pero when, totoo 'yung it was a fictitious situation na aking ginawa. Isa lang ang totoo doon. 'Yung sinabi kong ang ganda-ganda niya," Suntay said.

Curtis has yet to comment on the matter, as of writing.