Is Suntay a misogynist?

This past week has been full of dramatic and game-changing events in the Philippines and around the world. Globally, the attack of Trump on Iran has caused retaliatory bombing in Dubai, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. This has disrupted all flights connecting Asia and Europe because Dubai is the hub for air transportation. The most economic harm has been the increase of crude oil prices, which will be reflected in fuel oils like gasoline and diesel.

In the Philippines, the House committee on justice voted on whether to accept impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte. Out of 55 voting members in the committee, 54 voted in the affirmative, and only one voted against. The lone dissenter was Cong. Jesus “Bong” Suntay, representing the fourth district of Quezon City, who has suddenly become almost a household name for another reason.

In spite of all these dramatic events, the most discussed event, especially by female newscasters and female legislators, was the controversial statement of Cong. Suntay during a congressional hearing. It seems that one of the accusations against the Vice President is that she imagined President BBM being beheaded. Suntay stated that a person cannot be blamed for what is in his or her imagination. As an example, he said that when he imagined seeing the beautiful actress Anne Curtis in a mall, he described his reaction as, “You know, may desire sa loob ko na nag-init talaga” (I had a heated desire in me).

Because the comment was made during an official government proceeding, some critics have argued that his behavior was unprofessional and disrespectful. However, many observers, lawmakers and other organized groups have condemned Suntay’s behavior as being more than inappropriate but as “misogynistic,” especially because the lewd comments may have been intended as an analogy or joke, but it reinforced harmful attitudes about women. The remarks made by Suntay during the hearing can be reasonably interpreted as misogynistic because they objectified a woman and reinforced harmful gender attitudes.

Understanding misogyny

Misogyny is generally defined as hatred, dislike or prejudice against women. However, modern interpretations of this concept go beyond direct hatred. Misogyny also includes behavior, language and social norms that demean women, treat them as inferior or reduce them to objects of male desire. These attitudes can appear in everyday interactions, work places, media representation and political discourse.

Examples of misogyny include sexual objectification (as in the Suntay remarks), sexist jokes, discrimination in employment, blaming the victim (i.e. women) in cases of harassment or assault and online harassment or in public spaces. These behaviors reinforce unequal gender relations and contribute to a culture where women may feel unsafe, undervalued or disrespected.

Misogyny can also be subtle. Sometimes it appears in casual remarks or analogies that seem harmless that reflect underlying attitudes that diminish women’s dignity. Because language shapes social norms, even seemingly small statements can contribute to a culture of gender inequality.

For example, recently I was having lunch with a group of friends who were all either successful entrepreneurs or legal luminaries. When I narrated the Suntay incident, I was surprised that a couple of them considered it as a humorous incident, rather than one to be condemned.

Unfortunately, I have to admit that misogyny exists in the Philippines and is found among all social classes A, B, C and D and transcends levels of education.

In this country, there are strong laws protecting women’s rights such as the Magna Carta for Women and the Safe Spaces Act which address gender discrimination and harassment. Additionally, Filipino women play important roles in politics, business, education and civil society. Despite these achievements, it seems that misogyny still exists in Filipino society.

Misogyny still appears in various forms which include cat calling (a whistle, shout or comment of a sexual nature to a woman passing by) and street harassment; sexist remarks disguised as humorous comments; gender stereotypes in media and movies and sexual jokes treated as just innocent, playful remarks.

This shows that despite legal protection and social progress, misogyny and gender discrimination remain a challenge in Filipino society.

In response to the Suntay controversy, lawmakers and advocacy groups have called for accountability that should go beyond a public apology. Accountability does not necessarily mean imprisonment but it may involve recognizing the impact of an inappropriate behavior. Perhaps lawmakers may suffer suspension and undergo gender sensitivity training as recommended by the Philippine Commission on Women to help them better understand how their language and behavior may adversely affect others.

The next time any male makes any lewd remark, they should remember how this may affect their female family members. One surprising fact about the behavior of Suntay is that he has a wife and daughters. How would he feel if another lawmaker publicly says what he said about Anne Curtis, this time in reference to his wife and daughters?