A jeepney ride should feel ordinary. Just another short trip between places. But sometimes the most ordinary moments reveal the biggest problems in our society.
I remember one ride that stayed with me. I was wearing something simple and decent—a pink pair of trousers and a green top. Nothing revealing. Nothing unusual. Yet beside me sat a drunk man who kept pushing his knee closer to my legs. The jeepney was not crowded. There was enough space for both of us, yet he kept inching closer as if testing how much I would tolerate.
In that moment, I felt something many women know too well. Discomfort mixed with fear.
I immediately transferred to another seat. The situation ended quickly, but the realization stayed with me. That small moment reminded me how vulnerable women can be even in the most ordinary places. A jeepney ride, a sidewalk, or a quiet street can suddenly feel unsafe.
Experiences like this are exactly why the Philippines passed Republic Act No. 11313 (Safe Spaces Act), also known as the Bawal Bastos Law. The law recognizes that harassment does not only happen in dark alleys. It can happen in public transportation, workplaces, schools, and even online.
Yet despite laws meant to protect women, disrespect continues.
Recently, public outrage erupted after Quezon City Representative Jesus Manuel “Bong” Suntay made a controversial remark referencing actress Anne Curtis during a House hearing. Many Filipinos found the comment crude and offensive. Critics pointed out that such remarks reduce women to objects of fantasy rather than individuals deserving respect.
What made the situation more disturbing was the setting. The statement was made inside a government hearing. When someone in a position of power speaks that way, it sends a dangerous message about how women can be talked about in public spaces.
Women are not objects for anyone’s fantasies. They are not invitations for jokes, comments, or assumptions about their bodies or their lives. They are human beings who deserve dignity and basic respect at all times. This applies whether the woman is a celebrity like Anne Curtis, a professional at work, or an ordinary commuter riding a jeepney home.
If a random drunk man on public transportation can make a woman feel unsafe, imagine the message sent when leaders speak the same language of objectification. The problem has never been women’s clothing.
The problem has never been women simply existing in public spaces. The problem is the mindset that believes a woman’s body exists for someone else’s imagination.
If a person’s imagination strips a woman of her dignity, then that imagination is not harmless. It is exactly the problem.
