Palace tells Honeylet: Kidnappings, deaths no joking matter

Malacañang on Friday asked Honeylet Avanceña, the common-law wife of former president Rodrigo Duterte, to not poke fun at the recent reported killings in the country.

“Hindi natin malaman bakit ganoon ang naging attitude ni Ms. Honeylet. Parang ikinatutuwa pa ba niya na may mga ganitong sitwasyon sa bansa?" said Palace Spokesperson Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro.

(We do not understand Ms. Honeylet's attitude. Is she happy about this kind of situation in the country?)

“Hindi po ginagawa na katatawanan ang isang ganitong klaseng sitwasyon… Kaya kay Ms. Honeylet Avanceña, huwag ninyo pong gawin na issue dahil may buhay po ditong nakasalalay, may mga buhay na nawala,” she added.

(We should not make fun of these kinds of situations. Ms. Honeylet Avanceña, please do not make this an issue because there is a life at stake, lives were lost.)

Castro made the statement after Avenceña “congratulated” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. about the peace and order situation in the country in an ambush interview at The Hague.

“Congratulations sa Pilipinas, may kinidnap at pinatay nanaman. Congratulations. Ganyan ang gusto niyo… Congratulations again, congratulations BBM," said Avanceña.

(Congratulations to the Philippines, someone was kidnapped and killed again. Congratulations. That’s what you wanted.)

Castro previously said that Marcos had already formed a task force to look into the death of businessman Anson Que.

“Makakaasa po ang taumbayan at ang buong sambayanan na hindi po tutulugan ng gobyerno ang mga ganitong klaseng sitwasyon. Pananatilihin po natin na magkakaroon ng hustisya, bibigyan natin ng hustisya ang dapat na bigyan ng hustisya at hindi po natin hahayaan na mangyaring muli ang naganap sa mga naging biktima ng EJK,” she said.

(We can assure the public and the country that the government will not sleep on these types of situations. We stand firm that justice will be achieved, and we will give justice to those who deserve justice, and we will not let what happened to the victims of EJK happen again.) —VAL, GMA Integrated News