A MANILA councilor was recommended by the Manila Office of the City Prosecutor (OCP) on charges for violation of the Safe Spaces Act.
The OCP, in a nine-page resolution released Friday, recommended that Ryan Ponce be charged with three counts of violating Section 16, Paragraph (c) of the Safe Spaces Act over separate incidents that allegedly occurred on Aug. 18, 2025; Sept. 18, 2025; and Sept. 29, 2025.
In her privilege speech back on Oct. 9, 2025, councilor Eunice Castro accused Ponce of repeatedly harassing her with inappropriate jokes and malicious messages.
Ponce supposedly sent messages to Castro, saying he is anticipating seeing what she wears for work, and asking her to send photos of what she is wearing in the morning.
Manila City Vice Mayor Chi Atienza then referred the issue to the city council’s Committee on Ethics for investigation.
The OCP lamented that Ponce’s messages were sexual in nature and unwelcome.
“It should be noted that the respondent, a married man, directed the messages containing sexual undertones toward the complainant, a single woman,” it said.
The OCP further argued that Castro experienced “offense, humiliation, and distress” caused by Ponce’s behavior, which is “inappropriate and unacceptable within the professional standards.”
