MANILA, Philippines — Honeylet Avanceña, the common-law wife of former President Rodrigo Duterte, has spoken out against his detention in The Hague, Netherlands, decrying what she described as excessive and unjust treatment.

 

Fighting back tears in an interview with SMNI, Avanceña said Duterte did not deserve the ordeal he is facing after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest order against him for alleged crimes against humanity linked to his administration’s war on illegal drugs.

“He doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment,” she said, echoing claims from Duterte’s camp that the former leader was “kidnapped.”

Duterte was arrested at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on March 11, upon his return from Hong Kong, where he was accompanied by Avanceña and their daughter Kitty.

 

His former executive secretary, Salvador Medialdea, previously labeled the arrest as “pure, simple kidnapping” and dismissed the ICC’s authority over Duterte.

 

The case has sparked a heated debate in the Philippines, with Duterte’s allies condemning the ICC’s actions, while human rights advocates continue to push for accountability.

 

Duterte was transferred to Villamor Air Base before being flown to The Hague on March 12.

Oh cry me a river

How about all those maimed and injured, orphans and not all we "drug traffickers" his "rule" was lawless , dictatorial and cruel

Hope it takes forever for this to come to trial, so he spends his remaining days in confinement, at least he has the opportunity of a trial, which more than thousands under his regime were given

During Rodrigo Duterte's presidency in the Philippines, his controversial "war on drugs" led to significant loss of life. Official government data reports at least 6,252 deaths in police anti-drug operations from July 2016 to May 2022. However, human rights groups estimate the total number of deaths, including vigilante-style killings, to be between 27,000 and 30,000