Honeylet says she's suspended from visiting Duterte in ICC detention
Former President Rodrigo Duterte's common-law partner, Honeylet Avanceña, said her visitation rights to the detained former leader at the International Criminal Court detention facility had been suspended.
According to Marisol Abdurahman's report on "24 Oras," Avanceña said she was told about her suspension during her last visit to Duterte.
"'Nung time na yun, five minutes bago matapos, sinabihan na lang ako na isusupend daw ako. Ang sabi pa nga ni PRD doon sa lalaki na 'you cannot do that' kasi nga he's expecting me. This is my time right now. This is my schedule to visit him. Tapos the following day, wala na akong visit,' Avanceña said.
(During that time, just five minutes before my visit ended, I was told that I was going to be suspended. Duterte even told the man, 'You cannot do that,' because he was expecting me. It was my scheduled time to visit him. Then the next day, I was no longer allowed to visit.)
Avanceña noted that her suspension was related to a call with Duterte on July 19, when she was supposed to have commented on the case. She said she didn't know anything about the issue.
She blamed Duterte's ICC-listed defense counsel Nicholas Kaufman.
"I have nothing against you, pero please do not deprive us of asking other people or asking legal opinions from other lawyers also. We acknowledge you as his lawyer," Avanceña said.
"You know, I know you are protecting your real practice. I don't know if you're trying to prove something [but] we are concerned about the life of this man,' she added.
When asked about the legal basis of Avanceña's suspension of visitation rights, Kaufman refused to comment on the matter.
'For judicial reasons and out of respect for family privacy, I am not going to comment on the veracity of Honeylet Avanceña's allegations concerning her presence not being desired at the ICC detention centre,' Kaufman said.
'Honeylet Avanceña, so it would appear, is emotionally distressed for reasons on which, as I mentioned previously, I cannot elaborate. As a consequence, she is making all sorts of wild allegations which are being stoked by others,' he added.
Kaufman further said, 'The simple fact of the matter is that the Vice President, as a lawyer herself, is fully qualified to judge the quality of my engagement with and work for the former president.'
GMA Integrated News has reached out to Vice President Sara Duterte for comment.
Kaufman also said visiting rights were not determined by the counsel but by the detention center authorities, with the intervention of the judges when necessary.
'The former President's health is being adequately managed and overseen by all those currently in daily contact with him,' Kaufman said. –Mariel Celine Serquiña/NB, GMA Integrated News
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
7 hours ago
- GMA Network
Romualdez sa inihain nilang mosyon sa SC: 'This is not an act of defiance. It is an act of duty'
Naghain ng apela ang Kamara de Representantes para baligtarin ng Korte Suprema (SC) ang nauna nitong desisyon na unconstitutional ang impeachment complaint laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte. Giit ni Speaker Martin Romualdez, hindi nila kinakalaban ang pasya ng mga mahistrado ng Kataas-taasang Hukuman, sa halip ay ginagampanan lamang nila ang kanilang tungkulin. Sa ulat ni Tina Panganiban-Perez sa GMA News Saksi nitong Lunes, sinabing ang Office of Solicitor General ang tumatayong abogado ng Kamara sa kanilang inihaing apela sa SC, ilang araw bago ang itinakdang deadline sa Agosto 9. 'This is not an act of defiance. It is an act of duty,' ani Romualdez. 'We do not challenge the authority of the Court. We seek only to preserve the rightful role of the House – the voice of the people – in the process of accountability.' Kasabay ng paggiit na malinaw umano sa Konstitusyon na ang Kamara ang may ekslusibong karapatan sa pag-initiate ng impeachment, sinabi ni Romualdez na sinunod nila ang Konstitusyon at ang mga nagdaang desisyon ng SC sa ginawang pag-impeach ng mga kongresista kay Duterte. Sa kanilang apela sa SC, iginiit ni Romualdez na isang impeachment complaint lang "initiated" kay Duterte, at hindi apat, gaya ng nakasaad sa desisyon ng SC. Paliwanag ng Speaker, inilagay lang sa archive ang tatlong naunang impeachment complaint nang maipadala na sa Senado ang ika-apat na complaint na pirmado ng 215 na kongresista. 'On February 5, 2025, the House transmitted the fourth impeachment complaint filed and signed by 215 Members to the Senate. Only after this transmittal did we archive the earlier three complaints. That sequence matters. It proves there was only one valid initiation, not four,' ayon kay Romualdez. Iginiit din ng lider ng Kamara na walang nakasaad sa Konstitusyon na kailangang pasagutin muna si Duterte kaugnay ng mga akusasyon laban sa kaniya bago ipadala sa Senado ang articles of impeachment. Ang paliwanag at sagot umano ni Duterte laban sa mga akusasyon ay dapat mangyari sa paglilitis na ng Senado bilang impeachment court--gaya ng ginawa sa ibang na-impeach na opisyal. Sinabi pa ni Romualdez na ang pagkakaroon ng mga bagong patakaran na nakasaad sa desisyon ng SC na biglang ipatutupad ay hindi lang umano "unfair" kung hindi "constitutionally suspect" din. Kabilang din kasi ang mga mahistrado ng SC sa mga impeachable officials na maaari umanong makinabang sa mga ipapataw nilang bagong kondisyon o patakaran. 'When the Court lays down rules for how it, or others like it, may be impeached, it puts itself in the dangerous position of writing conditions that may shield itself from future accountability,' ayon kay Romualdez. 'That is not how checks and balances work.' -- FRJ GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
11 hours ago
- GMA Network
Marcos: PH, India to elevate ties to strategic partnership
Pres. Marcos said the cooperation between the Philippines and India would intensify 'and become even more impactful in many areas that we have not explored with India before.' (Screenshot from PCO) President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. on Monday night disclosed that the Philippines and India would elevate their relations to a strategic partnership. 'For seven and a half decades, we have had excellent relations with India. But tomorrow, this relationship is going to receive a major boost, a major upgrade as Prime Minister and I inaugurate a strategic partnership between the Philippines and India,' Marcos said during his meeting with the Filipino community in New Delhi. Marcos said this means that the two nations' cooperation would intensify 'and become even more impactful in many areas that we have not explored with India before.' These include defense, trade and investment, health, tourism, and other areas, Marcos said. Marcos arrived in New Delhi this afternoon for a five-day state visit, which is upon the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, in the same event, Marcos said his foreign visits always aim to improve the lives of Filipinos abroad. He also lauded Filipinos in India, saying that they have made an excellent portrait of a Filipino to the rest of the world. —LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
12 hours ago
- GMA Network
Honeylet says she's suspended from visiting Duterte in ICC detention
According to Marisol Abdurahman's report on "24 Oras," Avanceña said she was told about her suspension during her last visit to Duterte. Former President Rodrigo Duterte's common-law partner, Honeylet Avanceña, said her visitation rights to the detained former leader at the International Criminal Court detention facility had been suspended. According to Marisol Abdurahman's report on "24 Oras," Avanceña said she was told about her suspension during her last visit to Duterte. "'Nung time na yun, five minutes bago matapos, sinabihan na lang ako na isusupend daw ako. Ang sabi pa nga ni PRD doon sa lalaki na 'you cannot do that' kasi nga he's expecting me. This is my time right now. This is my schedule to visit him. Tapos the following day, wala na akong visit,' Avanceña said. (During that time, just five minutes before my visit ended, I was told that I was going to be suspended. Duterte even told the man, 'You cannot do that,' because he was expecting me. It was my scheduled time to visit him. Then the next day, I was no longer allowed to visit.) Avanceña noted that her suspension was related to a call with Duterte on July 19, when she was supposed to have commented on the case. She said she didn't know anything about the issue. She blamed Duterte's ICC-listed defense counsel Nicholas Kaufman. "I have nothing against you, pero please do not deprive us of asking other people or asking legal opinions from other lawyers also. We acknowledge you as his lawyer," Avanceña said. "You know, I know you are protecting your real practice. I don't know if you're trying to prove something [but] we are concerned about the life of this man,' she added. When asked about the legal basis of Avanceña's suspension of visitation rights, Kaufman refused to comment on the matter. 'For judicial reasons and out of respect for family privacy, I am not going to comment on the veracity of Honeylet Avanceña's allegations concerning her presence not being desired at the ICC detention centre,' Kaufman said. 'Honeylet Avanceña, so it would appear, is emotionally distressed for reasons on which, as I mentioned previously, I cannot elaborate. As a consequence, she is making all sorts of wild allegations which are being stoked by others,' he added. Kaufman further said, 'The simple fact of the matter is that the Vice President, as a lawyer herself, is fully qualified to judge the quality of my engagement with and work for the former president.' GMA Integrated News has reached out to Vice President Sara Duterte for comment. Kaufman also said visiting rights were not determined by the counsel but by the detention center authorities, with the intervention of the judges when necessary. 'The former President's health is being adequately managed and overseen by all those currently in daily contact with him,' Kaufman said. –Mariel Celine Serquiña/NB, GMA Integrated News
