Although I understand where Bong Suntay is probably coming from, given his age, experience and the generation he grew up in, what he did cannot be excused or justified. Such ingrained objectification of and prejudice against women is no longer allowed. That ship has long sailed.

Instead of defending his action and making known his supposedly innocuous intention, he should just apologize and move on. Our society is not interested in his motivation since what matters is the impact of his statement on the current plight of women toward equality and gender representation.

To be honest, most people actually miss the point. They complain that while we have laws on violence against women, there are no counterpart measures that protect men. They lament the fact that there seem to be double standards here. While this concern is valid, they are oblivious to the fact that throughout history, women have always been marginalized and victimized.

For so long, women have been seen as mere sex objects that should be desired and sexually wanted. They have been denied opportunities because they are perceived as the weaker sex.

This explains why the State has been focusing on enacting measures that seek to rectify this despicable and unfair treatment. One of these, in fact, is the Safe Spaces Act, which, albeit not limited to protecting women, is primarily geared toward making them feel safe.

This is why when a woman goes out in public places, she doesn’t have to worry about being catcalled, being persistently asked to give her number or being touched unwarrantedly.

In the office, she no longer has to tolerate a boss who continuously harasses her sexually.

The same is true as regards her online space. She can now hold liable anyone who sexually objectifies her through public or private comments on her posts, unjustifiably stalks her or her account, or blatantly posts her picture with sexual content without her consent.

Hopefully, we should all come to understand that the world is changing and that we need to adapt. There is no doubt in my mind that the congressman doesn’t mean harm when he made those playful statements. But there lies the rub. Just because you mean well doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take flak for your behavior.

Women still have a long way to go to fully realize their potential and take advantage of opportunities given to them.

Indeed, there is a reason why we are celebrating Women’s Month. Women are not just women. They can rule the world and there shouldn’t be anything wrong with that.