Honeylet Avanceña, the longtime partner of former president Rodrigo Duterte, has been barred from visiting him at the International Criminal Court (ICC) detention facility in The Hague after allegedly violating visitation rules.
The restriction reportedly stemmed from a July 19 phone call in which she was accused of discussing Duterte’s ongoing case with him—an act prohibited by ICC protocols. Avanceña, however, denied the allegation, expressing frustration over what she believes is an attempt to limit her role in seeking legal advice outside of Duterte’s main counsel.
“I have nothing against you, but please do not deprive us of asking legal opinions from other lawyers,” she said in a video posted by pro-Duterte vlogger Boldyak TV. Her emotional statement appeared to be directed at Duterte’s lead counsel, Nicholas Kaufman.
Kaufman acknowledged the situation but refused to delve into details. “For judicial reasons and out of respect for family privacy, I am not going to comment on the veracity of Honeylet Avanceña’s allegations,” he said in a separate interview.
He did, however, describe Avanceña as “emotionally distressed” and accused unnamed individuals of fueling the conflict. “She is making all sorts of wild allegations, which are being stoked by others,” he said, while defending Vice President Sara Duterte’s ability to assess his legal performance on her father’s behalf.
Dismissing rumors of rifts within Duterte’s legal camp, Kaufman insisted, “There are absolutely no internal disagreements… Harry Roque is an irrelevancy,” referring to Duterte’s former spokesperson, who has resurfaced online criticizing Kaufman.
Roque, now a fugitive wanted in the Philippines for alleged involvement in human trafficking linked to a POGO operation, has reportedly sought asylum in the Netherlands. Kaufman claimed a Dutch lawyer cut ties with Roque after learning about his fugitive status.
The last confirmed visit Avanceña had with Duterte was on July 23, according to Roque.
