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SA bisa ng direktibang inilatag sa plenaryo, inutos ng liderato ng Kamara ang pagsasailalim sa imbestigasyon ng House Committee on Ethics and Privileges kay Quezon City 4th District Rep. Bong Suntay dahil sa ‘sexist remarks’ sa aktres na si Ann Curtis.
Nauna rito, isang privilege speech ang ginawa ni House Committee on Women and Gender Equality Chair at Laguna Rep. Ann Matibag ng Laguna kung saan mariin nitong kinondena ang Quezon City solon.
Agad din namang nag-mosyon si Assistant Majority Leader at San Juan City Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora na ipasa sa Ethics committee ang paglalahad ni Matibag.
Dahil wala naman maski isang tumutol, agad na idineklara “approved” ni Deputy Speaker Janette Garin ang naturang mosyon.
Susog ni Zamora — “I move to authorize the Committee on Ethics and Privileges, schedule a meeting to first conduct a thorough assessment on the actuations and statements of Representative Jesus Bong C. Suntay relative to the question of privilege of Representative Anne Matibag.”
“Second, to require Representative Suntay to appear at the hearing of the committee. Third, to immediately report to the House its findings and recommendations after the scheduled hearing,” dugtong niya.
Matatandaan na sa deliberasyon ng House Committee on Justice impeachment complaints laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte, si Zamora, na siya ring vice-chairperson ang unang umalma sa mga salitang binitiwan ni Suntay, at nag-mosyon na burahin sa record ng komite ang mga ibinulalas ng huli.
“Madam Chair, I would like to have those statements stricken off the record,” ang matapang na sambit ng San Juan City lady solon.
Diin ni Zamora, ang katulad na pahayag ay hindi dapat nagmumula sa isang mambabatas lalo’t pinagdiriwang sa bansa ang National Women’s Month.
“Madam Chair, with all due respect to my friend Congressman Bong Suntay, it is just the start of the Women’s Month, and I don’t think that we should be hearing such comments from our dear colleagues. We’re not censuring anything, but we are reminding them that, in fact, we should support women by not saying these statements,” sabi pa ng House panel vice-chairperson.
Marami ang umalma at kumastigo kay Suntay sa pagsasabi nitong “…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 ang pwedeng mangyari…”
Bilang reaksyon, tahasang sinabi ni Gabriela Partylist Rep. Sarah Jane Elago, na hindi katanggap-tanggap ang sambit ni Suntay, kasabay ng hirit ba public apology.
“Ang pagbabahagi ng kanyang imahinasyon tungkol sa isang babae—anumang dahilan—ay tahasang pambabastos at pag-objectify sa kababaihan,” ani Elago.
“We stand firmly with women in denouncing this behavior from those in positions of power. There is no place for sexism and objectification of women by public officials. We will continue to demand respect, uphold women’s dignity, and push for accountability.”
Nanawagan naman sina Akbayan Partylist Reps. Percival Cendaña at Dadah Kiram Ismula sa mga kapwa mambabatas na maging huwarang modelo at pangunahing nagsusulong ng gender equality.
“The said disrespectful remarks toward women should not be tolerated in public institutions,” giit pa nina Cendaña at Ismula.
Suportado rin nin Akbayan Partylist Rep. Chel Diokno ang pagsalang sa Ethics probe kay Suntay at binigyang-diin na “every human being deserves to be treated with dignity.”
Para kay Kabataan Partylist Rep. Renee Louise Co, dapat maging mabuting halimbawa sa mga kabataan ang hanay “honorable members” ng Kongreso. (ROMER BUTUYAN)
