Honeylet Avanceña Barred from Visiting Duterte at ICC; Roque Slams Lawyer’s “Irrelevancy” Remark

Honeylet Avanceña, the longtime partner of former President Rodrigo Duterte, has spoken out after being suspended from visiting Duterte at the International Criminal Court (ICC) detention center, following a controversial phone call with the former leader.

In a media interview, Avanceña revealed that she was abruptly told five minutes before the end of her scheduled visit that her visitation privileges would be suspended.

Duterte, who was present during the visit, reportedly protested the decision, telling the staff, “You cannot do that.”

Avanceña was informed that the reason for her suspension stemmed from a phone conversation she had with Duterte on July 19, during which she allegedly mentioned details about the case.

“They said I said something about the case during our July 19 phone call,” Avanceña said. “But I told them, ‘I don’t know anything about the case. Mr. [Nicholas] Kaufman hasn’t discussed anything with me. I haven’t asked for a single document related to what he’s doing. So, I cannot talk about the case.’”

She also noted that ICC officials failed to clearly specify what part of the conversation led to her suspension. “To be honest, they couldn’t even point out what I supposedly said. They didn’t even give me any formal notice,” she added, emphasizing that no prior warning was given before her access was revoked.

Meanwhile, Duterte’s legal team has filed for an interim release request, which—if approved—could allow the former president to await trial in another country. Duterte is currently facing charges of crimes against humanity related to the deadly war on drugs during his administration.

The incident also reignited tensions between Duterte’s camp and his ICC defense lawyer. Former presidential spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque hit back at Atty. Nicholas Kaufman, Duterte’s ICC counsel, after being labeled as an “irrelevancy.”

In a statement on August 2, Roque questioned why Kaufman was focusing on him instead of addressing the concerns raised by Avanceña.

“What? Why me? Why am I again the subject of Mr. Kaufman’s rant?” Roque said. “Why is he so bothered by my supposedly ‘worthless’ life and associating me with Ms. Avanceña’s visitation suspension? Honestly, Kaufman’s blame game is laughable.”

Roque also rejected Kaufman’s claims about his significance and insisted that Duterte’s team should focus on efforts to bring the former president home.

“The Filipino people are watching and waiting,” Roque said.

As of this writing, the ICC has not issued a formal statement on the suspension of Avanceña’s visitation rights. Duterte remains detained as the court prepares for further proceedings on the case.