Women are not objects
If you did not know the name Quezon City Rep. Jesus “Bong” Suntay last week, you almost certainly do now. It is difficult to remain anonymous after making a sexual innuendo during a congressional hearing about Anne Curtis, one of the country’s most recognizable and widely admired celebrities.
Since the incident last Tuesday, key politicians, media organizations, and advocacy groups have condemned Suntay’s comments on Curtis’ body as disrespectful and unbecoming of a public servant. Curtis herself addressed the issue yesterday, calling out Suntay’s “vulgar sexualized analogy,” as a symptom of a broader culture that continues to excuse misogynistic behavior.
The incident also exposed a troubling contradiction. In 2016, Quezon City passed the Bawal Bastos Ordinance, declaring that lewd, malicious, and demeaning remarks toward women have no place in public life, years before the national Safe Spaces Act was enacted. As Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte noted, Suntay himself was part of the council that passed those measures, and even served as majority floor leader when the ordinance was approved.
The incongruence between Suntay’s actions and the pro-women policies he had earlier supported is a sobering reminder that passing laws meant to protect women is far easier than embodying the values those laws demand. As much as the Philippines is often celebrated as one of the most gender-equal societies in Asia, progress will remain largely symbolic if we do not change the environment that makes comments like Suntay’s possible.
But to understand the significance of this incident, we must be clear about why such remarks are harmful. Suntay’s comments, if left unchecked, reinforce and normalize a culture where it is acceptable to publicly reduce women to sexual objects. Research has linked environments that tolerate objectification to higher risks of sexual aggression, harassment, and gender-based violence. When women are reduced to bodies or objects of desire, they are more easily perceived as lacking agency or emotional depth and are viewed less as individuals and more as instruments of male desire.
Women constantly exposed to objectification may also begin to see themselves through the same lens, constantly equating their self-worth with how they look and whether men find them desirable. Over time, it contributes to mental health issues, diminished agency, and internalized misogyny toward fellow women.
The incident forces us to confront two competing visions of leadership that appear to resonate with the Philippine public. On one hand, some responded with outrage. These are individuals who believe that leadership carries a responsibility to model respect and dignity, especially toward those who are more vulnerable to harm.
On the other hand, there are those who have defended the remarks and are attempting to justify them. Some bloggers, for instance, have circulated Curtis’ previous magazine covers, arguing that wearing revealing outfits makes her responsible for being sexualized. These arguments reflect a worldview that sees misogynistic rhetoric not as a violation of a person’s dignity, but as an acceptable display of masculine power and dominance.
For some supporters, Suntay’s comments may even feel reassuring. Psychologists call this dynamic “thwarted masculinity”—the anxiety that some men experience when social change challenges their long-held beliefs about gender roles and male superiority. Misogyny becomes a way to reaffirm and restore that hierarchy.
The work, then, must begin long before men enter politics. It begins in childhood and in the lessons boys absorb about gender roles and how they are taught to see women. Both in school and at home, boys must be taught that women are not objects for commentary or degrading jokes. They must learn that strength is not proven through control over others, but through self-restraint, empathy, and respect.
Men must be part of the conversation. Fathers, teachers, coaches, and male leaders play a big role in how boys understand and define their identity. At She Talks Asia, we hope to encourage these conversations by having journalist and human rights advocate Atom Araullo as our cochair for the upcoming She Talks Asia summit. He will be joined by comedian Red Ollero and actor Robbie Jaworski in a discussion on how boys and men are shaped by their sociocultural context and why greater awareness can help them identify (and perhaps even unlearn some) the narratives they’ve inherited.
Nine women have filed a complaint against Suntay before the Office of the Ombudsman, accusing him of violating the Safe Spaces Act, the Magna Carta of Women, and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. The Philippines has passed groundbreaking laws meant to protect women from harassment. What we must demand now is their consistent enforcement, real accountability, and a culture that refuses to tolerate the treatment of women as objects, especially from those in power.
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eleanor@shetalksasia.com
