Sa isang resolusyon na prinumulgate nitong June 3 ng Supreme Court, pinagpapaliwanag sina Atty. Ferdinand Topacio at Cong, Jesus “Bong” Suntay kung bakit hindi sila kailangan ma-disbar tungkol sa magkahiwalay nilang ‘public remarks’ laban sa magkapatid na aktres na sina Anne at Jasmine Curtis-Smith.
Ayon sa resolution na naging public record nitong June 8, 2026, “the Supreme Court initiated disbarment proceedings motu proprio, or on its own initiative, and consolidated the complaints against Suntay and Topacio into Administrative Case 14934.”
Ayon pa sa tala ng Supreme Court, “lawyers were duty-bound to adhere to the rigid standards of mental fitness, maintain the highest degree of morality, and faithfully comply with the rules of the legal profession.”
Matatandaang nag-ugat ang lahat sa statements na binanggit ni Suntay during a March 3 hearing of the House Committee on Justice on the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Sa naturang hearing nga ay naibulalas ni Suntay ang isang pagkakataon na nakita niya umano ang aktres na si Anne Curtis sa isang hotel at gumana nga ang kanyang imahinasyon at pagnanasa sa posibleng mangyari, subalit hindi naman natupad kaya’t wala umano siyang pananagutan at hindi siya puwedeng ma-prosecute ‘for what he had merely imagined.’
Pinagbotohan ang naturang statements na tanggalin sa record ng dumidinig na Committee subalit nag-object pa si Suntay at sinabing. “the move created a “dangerous precedent” and amounted to censorship of manifestations that were “neither illegal nor immoral.”
Naging viral nga ang usapin at nag-react ang maraming sektor, kasama na si Atty. Topacio na sa kanyang programa sa DWIZ 882.4 radio show na “Yes… Yes… Yo! Topacio” ay ipinagtanggol nito si Suntay.
Base pa rin sa resolusyon ng Supreme Court, “Topacio criticized actress Jasmine Curtis-Smith, who had denounced Suntay’s remarks, by questioning why she posted bikini photos on social media and claiming they were intended to attract desire and publicity rather than qualify as art.”
Sa parehong broadcast, inamin din ni Topacio na minsan na din niyang “pinagnasaan si former Gabriela Party-list representative Sarah Elago and said he did not care if people became angry with him.”
Ayon sa mga napaulat na balita, “The remarks drew widespread criticism. Elago described Suntay’s comments as unacceptable and disrespectful to women, while Jasmine Curtis-Smith denounced Topacio on social media. House Committee on Women and Gender Equality chair Ann Matibag urged the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to investigate Topacio, and opposition lawmakers condemned his statements as harassment and an abuse of his position as a lawyer.”
Marami pang ibang mga organisasyon at mga grupong pangkababaihan na sumusuporta laban kina Suntay at Topacio at ngayo’y nanawagang tuluyan ng turuan ng leksyon ang dalawang abogado.
Dahil dito, ang-order na ang Supreme Court na magsubmit sina Suntay at Topacio ng kanilang mga comments within a non-extendible period of 10 days from receipt of the resolution.
It also directed the Office of the Bar Confidant and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to submit status reports on any pending administrative cases involving the two lawyers.
Topacio has since maintained his position, saying, “I stand by what I have said. I have never been a hypocrite. I mean what I say and I say what I mean.”