Every March, we celebrate Women’s Month to both commemorate the progress made in women’s rights and to continue to fight for the ongoing empowerment of women in all fields. Despite the advancements made toward women’s equality, there’s still much work to be done for women to receive the respect they deserve, as the reality is that challenges and roadblocks persist. And recently, it reared its ugly head as a reminder of the continuing need of events like Women’s Month and why similar events are still important even in the big year of 2026.
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Not Your Fantasy
During a House Committee on Justice hearing on impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte on March 3, Quezon City 4th District Rep. Bong Suntay sparked a firestorm of controversy after he shared an anecdote about Anne Curtis that many deemed as sexualizing the actress. “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 kung anong pwedeng mangyari, pero siyempre hanggang imagination lang ‘yon,” the lawmaker said.
The comments immediately faced pushback from fellow lawmakers, with San Juan Rep. Bel Zamora calling for the comments to be stricken from the records. The House panel ultimately voted 13-2-2 to remove Suntay’s remarks. She added, “It is just the start of Women’s Month, and I don’t think that we should be hearing such comments from our dear colleagues. We are not censoring anything. We are reminding them that, in fact, we should support women by not saying these statements.”
The anecdote and the lawmaker also faced backlash on social media from public figures and netizens alike. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte released a statement imploring the congressman to apologize for the remarks, adding, “We call on Congressman Suntay to take full accountability for his remarks, issue a proper apology, and conduct himself with the dignity that his office—and our city—demand. Our people deserve no less.”
Celebrities, from Gabbi Garcia, Bianca Gonzales, Nadine Lustre, Angel Locsin, Karen Davila, Jodi Sta. Maria and Anne’s sister, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, also came to the actress’s defense and called out the comments, with many pointing out how disrespectful and dehumanizing they are, not just to Anne Curtis but to women in general.
Women Deserve Better
It’s unfortunate how this happened at the start of Women’s Month, but it’s also a reminder of the reality many women face, regardless of what they are doing. Anne Curtis is a public figure, but she doesn’t deserve to be talked about like that. And it isn’t just about Anne, but how all women, regardless of background, shouldn’t be treated that way. Yet, as is often the case, they have to deal with these kinds of shameful insults, especially when they try to make inroads in typically male-dominated spaces. The fact that this is coming from an elected official on national television in the middle of a formal government hearing where a level of respect, civility, and decorum is expected makes it worse, but also highlights how systemic the problem is.
For ages, women have had to face unsolicited comments, remarks, catcalling, and the like from men, a behavior that society has sadly helped normalize and in some circles even encouraged. It’s this kind of talking and thinking that reduces women to their bodies and physical appearance. Worse, because men rarely face the consequences of this kind of behavior, it makes them think that there’s nothing wrong with speaking like that.
Despite what some may say, it wasn’t, isn’t, and never will be a compliment. It is not normal to see a woman in public, and the first thing you think about is how they look without their clothes on. It’s not right as it devalues women and only sees them as objects of desire instead of their worth as human beings. That kind of misogynistic mindset shouldn’t be publicly paraded and privately emulated.
Comments that sexualize women aren’t compliments and aren’t things women should feel appreciated by. Regardless of intention, objectification is objectification, and that’s not and never the way to do it. There are 1001 better ways to compliment a woman without resorting to making fun of them or seeing them just through their bodies.
Celebrating Women’s Month this year is still as relevant as ever, and there are reasons why we celebrate it in the first place. Championing women also means pushing back against toxic mindsets that’s still present in society. We should continuously work to push forward, reaffirm, and defend basic dignity and respect because, at the end of the day, women should always deserve better.
Featured Image and Photos: MEGA ARCHIVES, ANNE CURTIS (via Instagram), JASMINE CURTIS SMITH (via Instagram)
Frequently Asked Questions
The comments sparked backlash because an elected official publicly objectified and sexualized the actress during a formal government hearing, violating expected legislative decorum and societal respect.
The House panel voted 13-2-2 to officially strike the controversial remarks from the congressional records, following immediate pushback from fellow lawmakers during the session.
This incident highlights that systemic misogyny and public objectification persist in 2026, demonstrating that targeted awareness events remain critical to defending women’s basic dignity.
Netizens, government officials, and high-profile celebrities publicly condemned the remarks, calling them deeply dehumanizing and demanding full accountability and an apology from the lawmaker.
Publicly reducing women to their physical appearance or sexualizing them under the guise of compliments constitutes harmful objectification, which reinforces toxic, highly dismissive gender mindsets.
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