Metro Manila, Philippines – A Palace official criticized remarks by a lawmaker about actress Anne Curtis, saying the comments were insulting to women and could violate laws against gender-based harassment.
CommunicationsUndersecretary Claire Castro said she was offended by statements made by Quezon City Rep. Bong Suntay during a House hearing, where he described imagining a sexual scenario involving the actress while arguing that Vice President Sara Duterte’s controversial remarks about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should not be treated as a serious threat.
“Na-offend ako para sa lahat ng kababaihan lalo na kung ipagmamalaki pa na karangalan ng isang babae na siya ay pagpantasyahan,” she said.
[Translation: I was offended for all women, especially if it is portrayed as an honor for a woman to be fantasized about.]
Castro said publicly expressing fantasies about a woman could amount to sexual innuendo and may fall under the Safe Spaces Act, which penalizes gender-based harassment in public spaces.
“Kapag ibinulalas niya at ipinagmalaki sa publiko ang kaniyang pagpapantasya sa isang babae, this is definitely a sexual innuendo.”
[Translation: If someone blurts out and even boasts publicly about fantasizing about a woman, that is definitely sexual innuendo.]
She said that while thoughts alone may not be criminal, publicly declaring them about a specific woman crosses a line.
“Hindi puwedeng sabihin na walang krimen kung ito’y ibinulalas at ipinagmalaki pa sa publiko ang isang pagpapantasya sa isang babae.”
[Translation: You cannot say there is no wrongdoing if someone publicly expresses and even boasts about fantasizing about a woman.]
Castro also questioned whether such remarks would be tolerated if spoken by an ordinary person outside a formal setting.
“Kung nagkataon na ang lalaking ito ay nasa kanto at sinabihan ang isang babaeng naglalakad na ini-imagine ko kung anong ginagawa ko sa iyo, magkaiba ba iyon kung ordinaryong tao ang gagawa o isang taong may titulo?” she said.
[Translation: If this man were standing on a street corner telling a woman he imagines what he could do to her, would it be any different if he were just an ordinary person or someone with a title?]
In defending Duterte during the hearing, the lawmaker described imagining Curtis at a hotel and what might happen between them, arguing that thoughts alone should not be considered criminal.
The remark triggered objections from lawmakers. San Juan Rep. Bel Zamora moved to have the statement stricken from the record, saying such comments were inappropriate especially at the start of National Women’s Month. The House justice committee voted to remove the remarks from the record.
