A Manila councilor accused a male colleague of repeated harassment during a city council session, leading the body to refer the issue to its Committee on Ethics for investigation.

Councilor Eunice Castro directly confronted Councilor Ryan Ponce during a privilege speech, detailing multiple instances of alleged harassment.

“Shame on you for treating us women like objects!” Castro said to Ponce. “I have not wronged you. Why are you harassing me?”

Castro recounted an instance where she attempted to shake hands with Ponce, but he allegedly poked her hand instead.

“I just wanted to greet you because you spoke so well. I signaled to you for a high five, I lowered it, what did you do, you poked my hand again,” she said.

Castro also alleged that Ponce asked her about a type of massage that, upon searching online, she determined it referred to a massage that “focuses on the female genitalia.”

She also shared that Ponce allegedly sent her several lewd and inappropriate text messages.

“You also deleted many random messages to me, like ‘you were wearing a see-through earlier,’ ‘good morning sexy,’ ‘I was looking forward to what you were wearing earlier,’ ‘let me see your good morning face and your sleeping face so it will really be a good morning,’” she shared during the session.

Castro used her platform to call on other women to speak out against abuse.

“You don’t need to pretend so that you will be treated appropriately, and you are not alone,” she said. “I encourage all of you, don’t be anxious, don’t keep it to yourselves, don’t be alone, don’t shut yourselves in, don’t be afraid... We have nothing to be ashamed of. We must stand up to call out and fight the person who abuses us.”

Manila Vice Mayor Chi Atienza expressed full support for Castro, confirming that the issue had been referred to the Committee on Ethics.

“I stand with Councilor Eunice Castro and believe that what she has said during her privilege speech in our regular session today is admirable, as she has fought to have all the abused women’s voices heard,” Atienza said. “In our society where women are bound to endure their pain in silence, finally, there is a woman who stands for them.”