House urged to pass three pro-women bills

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March 8, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Robert Nazal and BH founder and spokesperson Bernadette Herrera yesterday urged the House of Representatives to pass three pro-women bills filed in the 20th Congress in time for the celebration of Women’s Month.

The three proposed measures are House Bill 2059 or the Enhanced Benefits and Help for Solo Parent Families Act, HB 1031 or the Mandatory Child Support Act and HB 807 or the Take It Down Act.

“All three bills deal with urgent and compelling issues that disproportionately impact on the lives of women in our country,” Nazal said in a joint statement with Herrera.

Nazal noted that HB 2059 is currently pending with the House committee on revision of laws, HB 1031 with the committee on the welfare of children and HB 807 with the committee on information and communications technology.

“Women’s issues are multidimensional, so I ask the committee chairpersons to create genuine positive impact on women’s lives by causing our bills’ approval in their committees this month and moving them to plenary debates and approval when we return from Congress’ summer break,” Nazal further said.

For her part, Herrera said the three measures form a key part of BH’s legislative social agenda.

“HB 2059 requires improvements to solve the poor implementation of the Solo Parents Act (as amended). HB 1031 mandates child support from irresponsible and neglectful parents. HB 807 protects victims of sexually explicit material, most of whom are women,” Herrera said.

“In these three proposed laws, it is our intention to lessen the difficulties of women to survive towards prosperity,” she added.

Disbarment

As lawmakers push for measures to strengthen protections for women this Women’s Month, a lawyer is facing calls for disbarment over controversial remarks about women made on his radio program.

Ferdinand Topacio is currently under fire after making controversial remarks on dwIZ while defending Quezon City 4th District Rep. Jesus “Bong” Suntay’s “imagination” of sexual fantasies involving actress Anne Curtis, drawing calls from progressive lawmakers and groups for his disbarment.

Topacio argued that thoughts or fantasies cannot be punished under the law.

“No matter how bad your thoughts are – if you see a woman and you want to rape her, you want to molest her, you want to abduct her – that is not a crime,” he said in Filipino.

Topacio also criticized actress Jasmine Curtis-Smith for condemning Suntay’s remarks, claiming that her bikini photos posted online were meant “to get famous and to be fantasized.”

“Don’t say that it’s art. Don’t say that you’re just endorsing a bikini brand or a resort. That’s BS. We’re not fools here to believe you,” he said.

He further stirred controversy after admitting on air that he once fantasized about Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Elago during a hearing.

“Before, I used to lust after Sarah Elago. I even caught her scent during our hearing at the DOJ. Go ahead and get mad at me if you want – I don’t care,” he said.

The remarks quickly circulated on social media, drawing widespread backlash from netizens and prompting calls for Topacio’s disbarment.

Curtis-Smith and Elago both criticized the lawyer, calling him “dugyot” and “manyak,” while Gabriela is studying possible legal action against Topacio over his remarks against Elago.

Progressive lawmakers in the House of Representatives also condemned Topacio’s statements.

Akbayan party-list Rep. Dadah Kiram Ismula said Topacio’s “rape fantasy remark” is a dangerous normalization of sexual violation.

Members of the Makabayan bloc in the House also denounced Topacio’s remarks, calling them misogynistic.

In a joint statement, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio and Kabataan party-list Rep. Atty. Renee Louise Co condemned what they described as “vile, misogynistic and deeply degrading attacks” made by Topacio against Elago and Curtis-Smith. — Ghio Ong