It’s Women’s Month—a time meant to celebrate and reflect on women’s achievements. Yet on March 3, during a House Committee hearing on impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte, Quezon City Representative Jesus “Bong” Suntay told a story about Anne Curtis.

In his own words, he said, “Alam niyo 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 puwedeng mangyari, pero siyempre hanggang imagination na lang ‘yon.”

He framed it as harmless imagination, arguing that such thoughts could not be punished. The comment immediately sparked online backlash, with many calling it sexual objectification, inappropriate, and a stark reminder of the misogyny women continue to face—even in spaces of power.

What Suntay Actually Said and His Half-Apology Playbook

During the hearing, Suntay recounted a scene in his own words and then he doubled down that “syempre hindi ako puwedeng kasuhan kung ano ang na-imagine ko eh,” defending that merely imagining something could not be punished.

Then came the now‑all‑too‑familiar follow-up. 

Later, in interviews he tried to soften it by saying it was a “fictitious situation” he created and that he was “sorry if people were offended” but insisted that he stood by his analogy and that there was nothing “malicious” in what he said. 

He even suggested that Anne Curtis should take it as a compliment because he said she was beautiful.

This is the same pattern women encounter everywhere — in offices, government halls, entertainment spaces, and online platforms. 

Objectification becomes normal, boundaries become negotiable, and respect becomes conditional. Women learn quickly that they must absorb, smile, or risk being labeled as “overreacting” or overly sensitive.

This half‑apology playbook shifts responsibility back onto women, as if they should be grateful for attention even when that attention reduces them to a body or a convenient example in someone else’s argument.

The Ripple Effect of Objectifying Words

Some might shrug and call it a story, or even a compliment. But what Suntay said follows a pattern many women know too well. Lewd or unnecessary remarks about women are often framed as flattery, implying that women should feel honored or grateful for being objectified. This is not admiration—it is a social script that shifts the burden onto women. They are expected to accept commentary about their bodies, presence, and dignity without pushback. Their discomfort becomes something to be explained away, dismissed, or minimized.

The Philippine Commission on Women described Suntay’s words not as harmless respect but as sexual objectification coming from someone in public authority, warning that language like this reinforces the harassment culture many Filipino women experience daily.

Even Anne Curtis’ sister, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, emphasized that this moment goes beyond one celebrity. It exposes how women in public spaces are often treated as objects of someone else’s imagination, rather than people with agency, accomplishments, and dignity. 

Journalists, artists, and other public figures echoed the backlash online, noting that remarks like this normalize harassment, excuse male desire, and undermine women’s authority — from Atom Araullo criticizing how imagined desires are treated as acceptable in public discourse to Romnick Sarmenta calling politicians “the joke” for treating serious issues as humorous amidst rising disrespect.

On X, The Loved One co-star Jericho Rosales also weighed in with a pointed message about how such comments reflect broader attitudes toward women’s place in public life, while actors like Jodi Sta. Maria, Amy Perez, and Ogie Alcasid joined calls for accountability, echoing that basic respect for women should be non‑negotiable

When someone in authority reduces a woman to the subject of their imagination, the consequences ripple far beyond the room where it was said. It signals that women’s achievements, presence, and boundaries can be secondary to male desire. Even when statements are stricken from official records, the cultural impact lingers. 

Social media reactions, public commentary, and everyday experiences show how such words reinforce a culture in which women must constantly navigate objectification. The ripple effect is clear: these comments do not remain isolated—they shape the way society treats women everywhere.

Anne Curtis Is Not an Exception

Anne Curtis is not just a celebrity. She is successful, influential, and accomplished. Yet she was made into a metaphor, a subject in someone else’s analogy. And she is far from alone. 

Women across all sectors experience similar treatment every day. 

Jokes, “harmless” stories, and unwanted commentary are often dismissed as compliments. But over time these incidents reinforce a society where women’s voices get interrupted, boundaries questioned, and dignity treated as optional.

Women’s Month Is a Reminder

The real question is not whether imagination exists but whether it can be used to justify disrespect and objectification. If objectification can be excused by claiming it is a compliment, then accountability becomes optional and respect becomes conditional.

That is precisely why Women’s Month is essential. It reminds society that respect for women cannot be negotiable and that their dignity cannot be treated as a matter of convenience or rhetoric. Women’s Month calls attention to how power is exercised, how words shape culture, and how women are treated in every space where authority meets voice.

Women’s Month exists to shine a light on inequality, demand accountability, and insist that respect for women is not optional. Controversies like the one involving Anne Curtis show why this matters: it is not just about one woman, but about ensuring that all women can occupy spaces fully, without being reduced to someone else’s imagination, objectified, or dismissed. It reminds society to confront harassment, challenge systemic bias, and recognize the dignity and agency of women in every sphere.

If imagination can excuse objectification, and if women are expected to be grateful for being reduced to fantasy, then nothing else — not accountability, not respect, not justice — can be taken seriously.