Rodrigo Duterte’s legal counsel, Nicholas Kaufman, has declined to weigh in on the allegations made by Duterte’s common-law wife, Honeylet Avanceña, that she has been denied the chance to visit the former Philippine president at the International Criminal Court (ICC) detention center in The Hague.
“For judicial reasons and out of respect for family privacy, I am not able and, further, have no need nor reason to comment on the veracity of Honeylet Avanceña’s allegations,” Kaufman said in a statement released Monday.
He clarified that the matter of visitation is not under his control. “Contrary to Ms Avanceña’s claims, visiting rights are not determined by Counsel but rather by the detention centre authorities with the intervention of the judges when necessary,” he added.
Avanceña made her claims in a video interview uploaded on Friday by Boldyak TV. In the video, she recounted that she was stopped from visiting Duterte just five minutes after their scheduled time, allegedly due to remarks she made about his case during a phone call with him on July 19.
According to Avanceña, she was unaware of any rules she may have violated and insisted that Kaufman did not brief her on the legal proceedings. She expressed frustration, saying, “I have nothing against you. Pero please do not deprive us [from] asking legal opinions from other lawyers… We acknowledge you as his lawyer.”
Appealing emotionally in the video, she said Duterte’s condition is worsening, and her presence might help. “Maawa ka naman… I am 110% sure na may depression na yan. Ngayon dine-deprive mo ako na mabisita sya, na at least may makausap siya na family.”
Kaufman responded by assuring the public that the former president’s health is being closely monitored. “The former President’s health is being adequately managed and overseen by all those currently in daily contact with him,” he stated.
Duterte was apprehended on March 11 upon returning from Hong Kong, based on an ICC warrant linked to the alleged human rights abuses during his controversial anti-drug campaign. The ICC accuses Duterte of orchestrating and supporting death squads that carried out extrajudicial killings during his term.
He appeared via video before ICC judges on March 14 and is expected to return to court on September 23 for a hearing to confirm the charges.
