Statement of Honeylet Avanceña to Duterte’s ICC Lawyer Nicholas Kaufman
HONEYLET AVANCEÑA – The common-law wife of former President Rodrigo Duterte gave a message for his International Criminal Court (ICC) lawyer following the alleged suspension of her visitation to the former Chief Executive.
The International Criminal Court recently confirmed that former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte remains under their custody. The former Chief Executive is facing an allegation of crimes against humanity over the war on drugs of his administration.
It was in March when the Philippine authorities assisted the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) in the arrest of the former President. The confirmation of the charges is scheduled on September 23. According to the defense team of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, they will not present witnesses at the September 23 hearing.
The ICC legal team of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is led by British-Israeli lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman. His children as well as his common-law wife, Honeylet Avanceña, and ex-wife, Elizabeth Zimmerman, have taken turns in visiting him inside the ICC detention facility in The Hague, Netherlands.
However, recently, Honeylet Avanceña claimed that she’s allegedly barred from visiting former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte inside the ICC detention facility in The Hague. According to her, it is over the allegations that she discussed his ICC case with the former President over the phone.
Based on a post, Honeylet Avanceña recounted that she was only able to visit former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte inside the ICC detention facility when she arrived back in The Hague, Netherlands. However, shortly after she arrive to see th former President, she was allegedly told that her visit will be suspended.
“Just five minutes ‘tsaka ako nilapitan nung lalake sabi isu-suspend daw and this is exactly what PRD said, ‘You cannot do that,'”. Sinabi niya, tapos the following day wala na akong visit,” Duterte’s common law wife said.
Recently, Honeylet Avanceña also gave a message for lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, the lead counsel of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte in his ICC case. The common-law wife of the former President stressed that they acknowledge Kaufman as his lawyer but asked him not to deprive them of asking legal opinions from other lawyers.
“I have nothing against you (Kaufman), but please do not deprive us of asking other people… of asking legal opinions from other lawyers also, but we acknowledge you as his lawyer. However, if our positions were reversed and you were inside (the prison), what would your spouse do then?” Honeylet said.
To recall, Kaufman recently claimed that former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte allegedly want Harry Roque to stop meddling in the ICC case of the former President and just return to the Philippines. The former spokesman of Duterte was quick to deny his alleged interfering in the ICC case of the former Chief Executive.