Anne Curtis finally speaks out after Bong Suntay’s remarks
Anne Curtis has spoken up about Rep. Bong Suntay's inappropriate remarks towards her.
The actress, on Saturday, posted her statement, explaining that it took her some time to react as she was focused on reuniting with her family, Erwan Heussaf and Dahlia, who were stranded in the Middle East.
"I am home now, and now I’m ready to say what needs to be said. Not for revenge or drama, but because remaining silent would be wrong... for me, and for every woman watching," she said.
"By now, many of you have heard the remarks made by Mr. Bong Suntay. A vulgar, sexualized analogy. My name disgustingly used without my consent, in the wrong context, and more importantly, without an ounce of respect," the It's Showtime host said.
Curtis said that she was shocked at first, then felt "hurt [and] disturbed by how perverted it was," and also felt "angry."
The actress said that what happened to her isn't something new, "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 pointed out.
"Mr. Suntay, I won’t spend much time on you. Not because what you did was small, but because this was never really about you," Curtis said.
"Since you used me as an example, let me use you as one too. You’ve become the poster boy of something much bigger: a culture that still thinks it’s acceptable to talk about women this way. Worse, one that tolerates it from our leaders. 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 continued.
Curtis said she does not accept his "non-apology" and would be carrying this "personal wound." She said that she accepts his wife's apology as she understands how she must be feeling "as a wife and mother myself."
"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 clarified.
Curtis didn't hold back, stressing that the weight she carries is for every woman who has ever been the target of such talk.
"We deserve better," she wrote. "Not just now, while this topic is a hot issue, but EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Not just from Mr. Suntay. From all of it. From the casual sexism disguised as clever remarks. From public officials who forget who they serve. From a culture that still asks women to laugh it off, to not be so sensitive and to pick their battles."
"Every time a remark like this goes unchallenged, we lower the bar for what leadership looks like. 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. That is what I refuse to accept," she continued.
Curtis said that leaders who cannot respect women "do not understand leadership at all."
"Respecting women, after all, is simply basic decency," she noted, asking the ethics commitee to "not let this pass." She said that she will be "seeking legal advice and will consider all my options looking forward."
"I cannot believe how many misogynists have revealed themselves the past couple of days. To everyone who used their voice to stand up for us and fight for our respect, both men and women, THANK YOU. And if anyone is wondering why Women’s Month still matters—this is exactly why," she ended.
Last March 3, Suntay argued that Vice President Sara Duterte’s past attacks on President Marcos Jr. weren't seditious. He brought up her "designated survivor" comment from the 2024 SONA. Suntay went on to share an anecdote of how one cannot be charged over their "imagination."
"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 anong pwedeng mangyari, pero siyempre hanggang imagination lang 'yon," the lawmaker said.
"Hindi naman siguro ako pwedeng kasuhan dahil kung ano na-imagine ko eh."
His wife, Sheila Guevara, gave her stance on the matter and apologized to Curtis: "My children [and] I do not agree with, and we do not condone, the analogy made by Bong," she said.
According to reports, the House of Representatives has ordered a formal investigation into women's rights advocates, following a complaint filed by Gabriela Rep. Sarah Elago against Suntay.
