Anne Curtis rejects Bong Suntay’s ‘non-apology’ over ‘lewd’ remarks
Anne Curtis said she refuses to accept the “non-apology” of Quezon City Rep. Bong Suntay over his lewd remarks against her, as she also revealed that she will seek legal advice and consider all her options.
Curtis, who recently arrived in the Philippines after she and her family were stranded in the Middle East, broke her silence in a statement on her Instagram page on Saturday, March 7, emphasizing how her name was “disgustingly” used by the politician.
“By now, many of you have heard the remarks made by Mr. Bong Suntay: a vulgar, sexualized analogy. My name was disgustingly used without my consent, in the wrong context, and more importantly, without an ounce of respect,” she lamented.
Curtis explained that such incidents often happen to women as she lambasted Suntay for being an example of those treating women as objects of commentary.
“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. 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,” she emphasized.
“You hold a seat paid for by taxpayers. Women are taxpayers. I am a taxpayer. We are not props in your commentary. I do not accept your non-apology. But I also will not carry this as a personal wound,” the actress continued.
Curtis said that she, however, accepts the apology from Suntay’s wife, Sheila Guevara, who earlier stressed that she does not condone her husband’s lewd remarks about the actress-TV host.
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“Because as a wife and a mother myself, I know exactly what she must be feeling-that particular kind of embarrassment, that helplessness, that quiet grief of watching someone choose so poorly in public,” Curtis explained.
“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,” continued the actress-host.
Curtis said she hopes the incident prompts accountability and greater respect for women, especially from those in public office.
“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,” she stated.
Curtis warned that failing to challenge remarks like these lowers standards for leadership, citing it as the reason why she’s refusing to accept the non-apology.
“Every time a woman is reduced to a cheap remark by someone holding a position of public trust, and nothing happens,” she expressed. “That is what I refuse to accept. Any leader who cannot respect women does not understand leadership at all. Respecting women, after all, is simply basic decency.”
The “It’s Showtime” host also urged the ethics committee not to let Suntay’s actions pass, as “the integrity of public office depends on the standards it upholds.”
“I will be seeking legal advice and will consider all my options. I cannot believe how many misogynists have revealed themselves in the past couple of days,” she said as she expressed gratitude to those who stood up for her and other women, especially this Women’s Month.
Suntay drew criticism after he spoke during a House hearing about his “desire” and “imagination” regarding the actress when he saw her at a mall, using it as an analogy to Vice President Sara Duterte’s “designated survivor” statement. /ra
