Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Tuesday night, March 4, slammed 4th District Representative Bong Suntay over remarks he made at the House of Representatives, urging him to take accountability and issue a public apology.

“I urge Congressman Bong Suntay to apologize for the inappropriate remarks that he made at a recent House committee hearing,” she said.

The lawmaker made the statements during a House impeachment hearing, invoking a high-profile celebrity to illustrate what he described as a personal “desire.”

“Alam niyo minsan, 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 ano’ng pwedeng mangyari pero siyempre hanggang imagination na lang ’yon. Pero ‘di naman siguro ako pwedeng kasuhan kung ano ang na-imagine ko eh (You know, once, I was in Shangri-La, I saw Anne Curtis, she was so beautiful. You know, there was a desire inside me, it really got hot, I could just imagine what could happen but of course that was just imagination. But I guess I can't be sued for what I imagined),” he said.

Mayor Belmonte said Suntay’s words “directly contradict” the spirit of empowerment that the Quezon City government has championed.

“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,” she said.

“In this context, it is truly disappointing to witness Congressman Suntay’s casual display of objectification, on Women’s Month no less,” she added.

The mayor noted that Suntay was on the City Council when Quezon City passed its Gender and Development Code, and served as majority leader when the Bawal Bastos Ordinance was enacted in 2016. The ordinance declares lewd, malicious, and demeaning remarks and acts as violations of the city ordinance.

“Our policies are a declaration of our city’s values — of what we stand for and what we refuse to tolerate. We expect our elected officials to be the first to live by them,” Belmonte said.

She also encouraged women to push back against actions that undermine their dignity.

“We must continue to stand for their safety, dignity, and equality — without exception and without compromise,” she said.

“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,” she added.

The House Committee on Justice has since striked Suntay’s comments off the record from the hearing.