Suntay’s remarks ‘constitutionally protected,’ says lawyer

The legal counsel for Quezon City Representative Bong Suntay dismissed potential criminal charges against the lawmaker Sunday as “constitutionally baseless,” following a public outcry over sexually suggestive remarks made about actress Anne Curtis during a congressional hearing.

Atty. Ferdinand Topacio said those seeking to prosecute Suntay are “laughably ignorant” of the 1987 Constitution. He cited Article VI, Section 11, which grants lawmakers immunity from being questioned or held liable in any other place for speeches or debates made in Congress or its committees.

The controversy stemmed from a 3 March House Committee on Justice hearing regarding impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte.

During the proceedings, Suntay used a graphic analogy involving Curtis to discuss his “imagination” regarding sedition allegations.

The remarks prompted approximately 100 members of the World March of Women-Pilipinas to file complaints with the Office of the Ombudsman. The group alleged that Suntay violated the Safe Spaces Act, the Magna Carta of Women, and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials.

Suntay’s wife, Sheila Guevara, publicly apologized to Curtis via Instagram on 5 March, saying that she and her children “do not agree with, and we do not condone” the analogy. She also denied reports that she laughed during the statement.

In a show of support Sunday, former Quezon City Councilor Ariel Inton, head of the Lawyers for Commuters Safety and Protection, urged the public to redirect their anger toward corrupt officials he labeled “kleptomaniacs.”

While acknowledging that Suntay’s words were offensive to some, Inton described the incident as a “single unguarded moment” intended to illustrate a legal point.

Despite the defense of legislative immunity, women’s rights advocates continue to condemn the remarks as misogynistic and inappropriate for official government proceedings.