Concupiscence of the flesh and Suntay

Women’s groups and irate individuals called down fire and brimstone on Quezon City 4th District Rep. Jesus “Bong” Suntay for his “objectification of women” remarks at the House of Representatives committee on justice, where the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte was being tackled on March 3.

Suntay earned women’s wrath when he dismissed the VP’s verbal threat to assassinate President Marcos, first lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez (Marcos’ first cousin), and her boast that she had already hired an assassin to carry out the job in case she herself is assassinated. For Suntay, the VP’s utterances were mere words. He wanted us to believe that feeling strong emotions does not necessarily mean the angry words that flow will translate into action. The VP’s threats, among other alleged crimes, are in the impeachment cases that underwent scrutiny for sufficiency in form and substance before they go to the Senate for hearing. Suntay was the lone committee member who did not sign the impeachment approval.

Suntay compared the VP’s threat to how “hot” he felt upon seeing actress Anne Curtis. So smitten was he that he did not know what to do with himself, he said. Was he, in fact, describing how sexually aroused he was? As proof of his virility? Following his logic, his hot desire, like the VP’s assassination threat, did not mean it would be consummated—or so, he argued.

Suntay under the spell of concupiscence of the flesh: “Alam niyo 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 anong pwedeng mangyari pero syempre hanggang imagination na lang ‘yon. Pero ‘di naman siguro ako pwedeng kasuhan kung ano ang na-imagine ko ah.”

Offended women were not mollified by his apology two days later, and his saying that he was taken out of context. The issue, women’s rights advocates said, was “objectification of women,” that is, how women are looked upon as mere objects of men’s lower desires, as if that is all they are. Who cares what Suntay did with himself and his imagination when he got home, but what he said in the House hearing diminished women.

Concupiscence of the flesh means strong sexual desire or lust. For moralists and the biblically oriented, it is an all-consuming desire for something that is forbidden, verboten, taboo, a symptom of human beings’ fallen nature. A biblical sampler: “Thou shaIt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.” For behavior experts, concupiscence is a strong inclination, a proclivity, if you will. Privately, it may not be a moral wrong per se, but when indulged in and pursued almost to a point of no return, it could turn into a behavioral disorder, a depravity, a human weakness that needs to be addressed. Exhibitionists, flashers, and stalkers of this world, hear ye.

If Suntay is not familiar with the archaic word, concupiscence, that can evoke scenes from Dante’s “Inferno,” he must know the word lust (kalibugan in Filipino). Didn’t he publicly describe how it felt? He was lusting when he laid eyes on Curtis. But did he have to say it out loud in a House hearing? He made Curtis the object of men’s similar lecherous desires.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte: “[Suntay’s] words directly contradict the spirit of empowerment that we have worked hard to build here in Quezon City. Over the years, we have embraced the difficult work of establishing protections for women, constantly striving to honor their rights by creating safe spaces and opportunities for them. In this context, it is truly disappointing to witness Suntay’s casual display of objectification, on Women’s Month no less. But what makes this incident especially troubling is the fact that, as a former member of our city council, he was part of the body that passed our Gender and Development Code. Moreover, he was the majority floor leader of the city council when we passed the Bawal Bastos Ordinance, which declares that lewd, malicious, and demeaning remarks and acts have no place in public life. Quezon City instituted this policy in 2016—ahead of the national Safe Spaces Act.”

See Also

The fallacy of a ‘weak’ youth

For his Lenten penance, Suntay should visit the Tandang Sora Shrine dedicated to heroine Melchora Aquino and many brave Filipino women. Belmonte inaugurated the shrine shortly before Women’s Month last year.

Movie and stage actor Joel Saracho’s stinging reaction in Filipino: “[P]sstt … may ordinansa ang QC na bawal ang bastos … [M]ambabatas ka ser. [T]aga-gawa ng batas. [D]apat pinag-iisipan mo ang bawat salita na lumalabas sa bunganga mo … ipangalandakan ang kalibugan at kabastusan. [M]isogynist culture na itinampok ng nakaraang rehimen … [M]agmumog ka, ser, hugasan mo ’yang bunganga mo at magnilay. [T]utal kwaresma na.” And may I add, his name is Jesus. Mambabatas, huwag mambabastos.

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