MANILA — Quezon City 4th District Rep. Jesus “Bong” Suntay appeared before the House Committee on Ethics on Tuesday to respond to an ethics complaint regarding his statements about actress Anne Curtis.

“Yes,” House ethics panel chair and 4Ps Party-list Rep. JC Abalos said when asked if Suntay attended the hearing, which was conducted following the plenary’s recommendation that the committee evaluate Suntay’s actions.

“He was formally instructed to attend the hearing today. Manifestations were made and put on record and this will all be included as we deliberate on our committee report,” Abalos added.

Abalos did not provide specifics, citing confidentiality rules, but said the committee will decide on the case based on merit. Under the panel’s procedures, Suntay has 10 days from the first hearing on March 10 to file his formal reply.

“We must make judgments based on evidence and in accordance with our rules. We are on the side of justice, kung ano ang nararapat na asal sa siyang miyembro ng Kongreso (on what should be the proper conduct of a member of Congress),” Abalos said.

The complaint stems not only from the House plenary’s recommendation but also from women’s groups who filed ethics complaints over Suntay’s remarks. The lawmaker is also facing an administrative complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman.

Suntay’s comments, made during a House justice panel discussion on the sufficiency of impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte, involved his claim that he felt “sudden heat and imagined things” upon seeing Curtis, which he said was not malicious.

Suntay defended his statements by comparing them to hypothetical political scenarios, asserting that such imagination “is not a crime and is not a serious threat.” He also issued an apology, while maintaining that his remarks were not made out of malice.

Curtis rejected Suntay’s apology, calling it a “non-apology” and said she is considering legal action.

“I do not accept your non-apology. But I also will not carry this as a personal wound. I do, however, accept your wife’s apology,” Curtis said.

“Since you used me as an example, let me use you as one too. You’ve become the poster boy of something much bigger: a culture that still thinks it’s acceptable to talk about women this way. Worse, one that tolerates it from our leaders. As they say, misogyny dressed up as a joke is still misogyny. We deserve better,” she added.