Honeylet Avanceña calls Rodrigo Duterte's arrest 'abusive'

Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s common-law partner Honeylet Avanceña seemingly tried to block Duterte from coming with authorities Tuesday morning upon their arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 from Hong Kong.

In an Instagram live of their daughter Veronica "Kitty" Duterte, Avanceña was seen distressingly talking with Duterte in the airport where they were welcomed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to arrest the former president.

“Abusado kaya sila… Wala lagi warrant,” Avanceña said in Bisaya. Duterte, in return, tried to calm her down.

(They’re abusive… They have no warrant.)

Earlier on Tuesday, Malacañang confirmed that Duterte is under the custody of authorities after getting arrested for crimes against humanity.

The Presidential Communications Office said that authorities served a warrant of arrest against the former Philippine leader upon his arrival in Manila.

Duterte, however, questioned why he was being detained at the Villamor Air Base following his arrest. 

CIDG chief Police Major General Nicolas Torre III had read to him there the Miranda rights, telling him that of his rights to remain silent and to have his own counsel.

Duterte had said he is ready to face the warrant of arrest issued by the ICC for his controversial war against illegal drugs, stressing that he would deal with it directly as a lawyer and would not escape in another country.

The ICC has been investigating Duterte and other top officials of his administration for crimes against humanity over the alleged systematic drug war deaths in police operations.

These deaths reached around 6,000 based on police records, but human rights groups contend that the deaths were as much as 30,000, including vigilante killings. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News