By Raïssa Robles
Trust a South China Morning Post photographer to spot President Rodrigo Duterte’s partner Cielito “Honeylet” Avanceña shopping at Times Square in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.
No, she did not have her daughter Kitty with her.
She was seen shopping alone – well, not really alone since she had several well-dressed bodyguards with her.
UPDATE:
THIS is quite ironic.
While Duterte was in Hong Kong regaling Filipino workers about his plans and his war on drugs, in another section of the Special Administrative Region, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong, Amnesty International Hong Kong and Hong Kong Journalists Association were holding the 21st Human Rights Press Awards.
Among those given awards were two submissions on Duterte’s drug war. Congratulations to Patricia Evangelista and Carlo Gabuco for their “Impunity Series”. And to our colleagues in FOCAP (Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines for their writeup on “Duterte’s War”. Namely the Reuters guys – Andrew R.C. Marshall, Clare Baldwin, Damir Sagolj, John Chalmers, Manny Mogato, Karen Lema, David Lague, Jerome Morales, Ezra Acayan and Erik De Castro.
Our SCMP photographer saw her “window-shopping” at the luxury shoe and bag shop of Jimmy Choo. And inside the store of Salvatore Ferragamo where she stayed “at least 20 minutes”. The sales lady would not tell the photographer what she bought. Even if SCMP photographers can be so persistent.
But the photographer managed to take a candid shot of Ms. Avanceña in black dress and pearls.
Ferragamo bags could cost from P30,000 to P140,000 each.
Tonight her partner will address Filipinos in Hong Kong, most of whom earn the minimum wage of HK$4,310 (around P27,500) a month. By Philippine standards that looks like a lot but by Hong Kong standards, that’s not enough to live by.
Ms. Avanceña is a businesswoman who once worked as a nurse in the United States.
And if Senator Antonio Trillanes is to be believed, her alleged bank accounts showed P187.597 million worth of bank transactions from July 2004 to March 2016. Duterte has denied it but she has not issued any reaction to Trillanes’ allegations. And because she is not married to Duterte, the President need not declare her assets in his Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
As I said, SCMP photographers are quite persistent.
I remember the time of the handover of Hong Kong to China my editor phoned and asked me to find out where the last British Governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten would be staying briefly in Manila and when he would be flying out. After chasing a lot of sources I confirmed that he had quietly flown into Manila and was boarding an early morning flight out of Manila.
The Hong Kong photographer managed to take an iconic photo of the last British Governor wearing patent leather shoes with no socks on.
You can read the SCMP article by clicking here.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
I hate to bring this up. But this has to be asked because it sets a precedent for similar relationships. As a partner of a sitting public official, is Ms. Avanceña entitled by law to have bodyguards paid with tax money? If they are not being paid with tax money, then there is no issue.
Recall how the public was enraged when then President Noynoy’s sister, Kris Aquino, hitched a ride on the presidential helicopter a year ago.
Because if she is, where do we now draw the line for other public officials?
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
UPDATE: I was just asked on Facebook, what’s wrong with her shopping?
My reply – nothing.
Just as there is also nothing wrong with writing this. I remember a feature on Corazon Aquino soon after she became president. She went to Chinatown herself and bought there some sets of plates, apparently to give away as wedding gifts. Because Honeylet is now in the limelight, people – and that includes the media – are naturally curious what she does with her time.
Parekoy says
‘Inggit ka lang’
I think Raissa was not successful presenting her point pretty well.
The focus is more on luxury shoes and trying to remind the readers of an Imeldific moment, but this ends up appropriate for tabloids like Cristy Fermin or Lolit Solis.
Honeylet is Duterte’s common law wife/partner and is entitled to have bodyguards with paid tax money. It is a stretch to compare her with Kris Aquino.
Though Honeylet might be Duterte’s partner and accomplice in hiding his ill-gotten wealth, Honeylet seems to be apolitical and a very private person and attacking her shopping taste will backfire, considering that from the get go she is a working woman and did not rely solely on Duterte’s money unlike other Keridas whose prime job is to make herself pretty, perfumed, and expert in bed duties.
Suggesting going to Disneyland did not help either.
I suggest on digging more on her bank accounts or properties, though at present it is quite an impossible task but at least it does not smell of a smear campaign against her.
I hope that Raissa learned from this setback that writing about another woman shopping for luxury shoes and even bags may look like ‘inggit ka lang’ among Duterte’s supporters and overshadows the point of questioning her ‘simple life’ and as conduit of ill-gotten wealth.
Comparing Honeylet to either Kris Aquino or Imeldific will not stick.
Let us go back and focus on Duterte’s outrageous moments and those have more impact and persuasion to convert the uninformed!
Parekoy
05-16-2017
arc says
apolitical si honeylet? meaning she is not supportive of digong’s war on drugs?
arc says
on a lighter note, I’ve not seen honeylet make fisted salute, is it because her arms are flabby and sagged terriby? her underarms are hairy? gotta make jokes, being serious is depressing and rarely gets you nowhere.
sup says
https://www.facebook.com/teamlaaganadventours/photos/a.262022334175153.1073741835.256640164713370/408490232861695/?type=3
Allan says
Ano naman ang masama kung mag shopping yung tao,una sa lahat may trabaho siya kumikita siya ng pera sa kanyang business, kahit noong hnd pa Pangulo si Du30, kung bumili si Honeylet nang mamahaling gamit… Anong paki ng taong bayan? kung naiingit ang iba Jan, magtrabaho kyo nang makabili kyo ng tulad niya. Ang tao nga naman lahat na lang gagawan ng kuwento,mga utak langgan E… Mag bago na kyo…
raissa says
sinabi ko bang masama?
Thinking Abe says
Ano po punta nitong article? Pede po bang malaman mismo sa writer? Ano po sana yung gusto niyong ipahiwatig sa aming mga nagbabasa?
greenpea says
Is this blog post relevant?
For me it is because it is about a public figure, the first lady of our country whom people would certainly like to know more about.
But that she is a public figure, the First Partner of a President who projects a lifestyle of simple living, even sleeping inside a kulambo makes it even more interesting. How do we reconcile luxury and kulambo? Which image is true?
Usually when public figures and celebrities do something, the things they touch become in demand. This is a measure of how well loved and positively influential they are. So why should people resent it if a public figure they support is written about and go to the extent of lying and stretching the truth to defend him/her?
The rash of hostile feedbacks to this post in a short period of time seems like it is an orchestrated and coordinated attack. There is no point answering them. But maybe Ms Raissa may just grant these commenters their wish to just write more substantive articles about their idols.
arc says
sentiment ko rin yan, this blog is relevant. shoe what if honeylet is seen shopping, she wont melt, have heart attack and die on the spot. next time, she is aware she is being selfied, she might as well smile and show some good teeth, poise, poise, poise.
iba na ang panahon ngayon, people got cell phones na and taking pic is so easy, texting as well. so, always have ready smile just in case. and dont forget to dress well and if you dont want to be notice, wear disguise and be bag lady, he, he, he.
I think, honeylet ought to contact raissa and thank her for the pic, show some finesse, ika.
Shade says
Hoi! Sugar momy…Do you have Prof? Do you have the receipt that she totally buy it? o just another your FUCKING STUPID FAKE ARTICLE? SHOW YOUR PROF IF YOU CLAIM THAT YOUR SAYING…
raissa says
Ano?
Pakiulit. Hindi ko naintindihan. Sino yung sugar mommy na tinutukoy mo?
jupac says
Ikaw
raissa says
how did I become a sugar mommy?
Fentanyl got to you?
arc says
oy, shade, you mean honeylet did not buy anything? was it because her feet are too wide and dont fit those dainty girly shoes? her arms too fat and would look weird on those cute little bags?
maybe, she should shop at the ukay-ukay stores, hic. welcome, po, hic.
Ancient Mariner says
#Shade. If you must post in English might I suggest you first learn how to spell and compose sentences in a grammatically correct manner. Oh, and increase your vocabulary by the addition of some suitable adjectives.
Your post did nothing but shame you.
Joshua says
Hello! English is just a language not a body of knowledge. Who cares if he/she can’t compose grammatically correct sentences. If you think you are far more superior to her because you are better in English language then I can say you are dumb and you don’t have common sense. I can understand him/her even though he/she mispelled words and was grammatically incorrect
vandr says
malayo na ang narating ng mga comments dito.
siguro lahat naman ay tama sa sarili nila, opinyon lang talaga.
may umayon, may kumontra, may violent reactions din.
marami ring personalan na.
businesswoman nga ba siya at nasa kanya na ang lahat?
well, sana hindi naman siya kumuha ng walang sabit.
siguro hindi siya susundan ng artikulo.
baka tadhana lang talaga.
umibig siya sa isang irresistible na taken na, na naging untaken. hehehe corny ko…
pero aabangan ko rin yung side na may imelda part 2.
may hint na.
arc says
as astute business woman, honeylet must know, have known, that life is like investments and full of risks, some hidden, some known. she might as well be well prepared for the inevitable. what wont kill her will make her stronger and hopefully, much wiser.
articles about her will always be popping up, some flattering, others unflattering. with her wealth and influence, she can ‘weder’ all, and probly unaffected by all this and maybe laughing at us.
vandr says
laughing at us…exactly.
look at the edyersitoes, arrovos, makuyes.
and lately na police.
ang nagagawa nga naman ng katad…
Ermelinda says
Its ok, she has d right to shop, thats a woman wants and aside of it she work hard for her money, marami parin ingitera mga bitter lol, too bad , u guys is not honeyluv lol
raissa says
thank God.
arc says
I get it marami ang na-i-ingit kay raissa, she got pic of ‘she who went shopping’, and able to write about it. inggit sila raissa can write about anything and almost everything in an apparent no holds barred. naunahan ang trolls, they cannot put IP on the pic now that it’s out in cyberworld. if anytime in the future, honeylet (like gloria arroyo who 1st denied being in china during the anomalous chinese broadband deal but was pictured to be there) there is also a pic to prove honeylet was in hongkong shopping on a certain day. an alibi for use in the future, a reference just in case. happy shopping! money to burn.
sup says
Amended SALN Duterte
https://scontent.fmnl6-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/18527858_1187701261340707_4689725074836279768_n.jpg?oh=e6cc6efcd8341a282e1ff2a0a1fe954a&oe=597B1EC7
Johnny Lin says
LatestNews
“Duterte rejects EU aid with strings attached”. Sec Abella explained that the aid was rejected because it has conditions that the Philiipne govt should “adhere to the rule of law” which includes respect of human rights. On the other hand, dept of finance is urging EU not to abrogate the preferable treatment the Philippines is getting from EU policy on GSP+, in which the Philippines is given preference on low tariff taxe for exported goods. This GSP+ policy also has conditions that thePhilippin should comply with 27 International Conventions by ad”adhering to its rule of laws” including the respect on human rights.
It seems Duterte and his men are pre-emoting the possibility that EU will cancel its GSP+ preferential treatment of the Philippines. If it’s cancelled, Duterte would say that EU is not needed by “him”. It’s “him” alone because the EU aid he rejected has been benefitting the poor FILIPINOS especially the Muslims in Mindanao. He sacrificed them for his “killing principles”. he said before that he will protect the poor and he is part Muslim from Mindanao. Yet he wanted his own people to suffer to satisfy his ego or divert attention to his impending accusations by ICC for violating human rights.
As usual, the first person to contradict his statement is one of his men. Sec Pernia, the chief economist said that Duterte did not ask his opinion. He also that “Duterte is used to saying things that he retracts later after listening to recommendations”, meaning Duterte is used to saying nonsense until he hears from his sane advisers.
Attaching conditions to aid is similar to giving money to a child telling as incentives to good behavior and performance in school. Duterte does not like the conditions that he should react human rights, meaning he only wanted the money if there are no strings attached to it. He wanted to spend the money the way he wants to.
Aha, the reason Duterte wants to receive EU aid without conditions is to be able to give the money instead to Honeylet for her personal rights to go window shopping anytime she wants accompanied by govt paid security services and opportunity for Raissa to exercise her own Fredom of Speech to write whatever topic she wants to discuss in her blog.
Putang ina ng mga mahirap, sabi ni Duterte
He he he
The Observer says
Yes, Duterte wants to spend the money in his own way. Where will he get money without conditions. Ano siya hilo. He is not pro-poor. He is only interested in his own ego. He is no different from those groups who use the poor to promote their pro-poor agenda kuno. But in fact they are making life of the poor people more miserable.
kalakala says
rejecting eu aids it only means that there is human rights violation under du30 admin. eh iyong mga nakukuha nya from china? wala bang string attached doon? o baka iyon ang presyo ng bentahan nila sa mga isla ng pilipinas kaya no conditions…no string attached but ROPE attached sa china he he
drill down says
Running away from being checked obviously protects politicians, gives opportunities for wrongdoings. Remember the prez who reneged on pushing for the foi bill. Same idea. Detrimental to the country.
arc says
ayaw ng attachments, ayaw ng commitments, ayaw ng responsibilities, gusto free love! he, he, he, kaya pala hindi sila kasado ni honeyrent, honeylet, sorry. only when you’re serious and willing to commit that you put things in written words and in paper. kahit marriage may conditions. same at school, meron conditions din, obey school rules or out you go. parents natin namimigay ng pera sa atin on the condition that we spend money wisely and pay tuition. spend the money on jueting at mapapalo ka: conditions apply.
binastos ni digong ang eu! hindi siya mapagkakatiwalaan.
Johnny Lin says
idiots among Duterte fans
Sens Cayetano and Gordon support the decision of Duterte rejecting Eu aid with conditions. They say, true friends don’t put conditions in their financial aid. They say we should cut off our dependency from others to gain respect. These idiots forgot that the EU aid is long term supporting govt program for poor Filipinos to enrich their lives.
The other prominent idiot is well known Duterte fanatic, Mon Tulfo, saying in his column that with Duterte’s decision rejecting EU aid, the chain of western culture controlling the Philippines was snapped. Tulfo also claimed that with the decision of Duterte FILIPINOS will gain more respect internationally. Tulfo claimed that his father hated the Americans despite fighting with them in WWII. if his father did not receive US dollar for US compensation of his war service, then he truly hated the americans. If he received a penny from Ameica govt, it’s hypocrisy at its best.
Thesepretenders know that the Philippines is a third world country needing every bit of assistance from different countries especially from our allies who have supported us for decades. To gain respect, what is needed is to discard our dependence on foreign employment at beggar price. Govt officials negotiate employment for OFWs with salaries not accepted by developed countries like South Koreans and Japanese. They agree to send our people to Hongkong and Singapore as domestics with a salary of less than US$600/month. Our officials call this overseas employment but it’s really “legalize human trafficking”. Prostitutes are paid better than negotiated foreign contracts sponsored by Philippine OFW officials.
Instead of rejecting foreign aid with strings attached, reject foreign employment of our OFWs receiving salaries below the minimum wage of citizens of the employing countries. Then we will gain respect, not only from other races but mostly to ourselves. Cayetano and Gordon would have served better our people if they sponsored legislation preventing FILIPINOS from employment in foreign countries receiving salary below the legal minimum wage of that nation. But they will never do it because they condone “legalize human trafficking”
Stop being hypocrites, scumbags
He he he
arc says
the idiot president doesnt like conditions attached, kaso, his bff china meron ding conditions attached na mas malala. their friendship will be compromised if digong drill for oil in west phil seas and was threatened with war! war! war! buti pa yong eu, human rights conditions lang ang attachment, samantalang china’s attachment is war, war, war.
with human rights conditions, digong has wiggle room, with china’s war, war, war, na-fisted salute si digong big time. bibili pa naman siya ng armas sa china, baka replica guns lang ang mabili niya. talagang walang kwenta ang presidenteng ito.
threats of war to the left of him, human rights conditions to the right of him, bombings and kidnappings for ransom in front of him, insurgencies and corruptions of his allies on top of him, ang presidenteng ito ay talagang walang kwenta, hindi marunong mamuno.
vandr says
sa 16m, iyan ang political will…
arc says
sa kabisayaan, bolatik will yan, bilog ang ulo at madaling mabola itong 16millions. naniwala sa words ng adik from dabaw. ngayong alam na nila kung gaano sila na-isahan sa pambubola, dapat magsipag-unat-unat na sila bago mahuli ang lahat.
the 16million can exercise their political will too, and re-claim the dignity they have lost. start small, one small step at a time . . . towards righteousness.
raissa says
Hi guys,
About four people posted comments on this site which Akismet automatically blocked.
When I looked at why they were blocked, I found for the first time – attached to their e-mail address – a strange set of letters and numbers strung together, as if these formed some kind of algorithm or code. These numbers and letters were separated by colons.
Just to illustrate, one began like this – 2607:fb90:02c4 – and it was a long string of this.
Just to be on the safer side, I decided not to rescue the comments with these strange numbers and letters from the Spam folder of Akismet.
Can the following repost, using a different e-mail address –
Ron
Ceasar Ceniza
Celeste Umali
It may not mean anything but since akismet blocked it, it might mean something. Pls look if your e-mail address has been compromised.
Thanks,
Raissa
sam says
It is an ip address, (IPV6 yata) which is from T-mobile
arc says
tell you, a pic paints a thousand words at maraming natamaan. now, I’ll wait and see if there is a new and redeeming pic of she who went shopping posted by fans of she who went shopping’s, maybe buying herself oversized kulambo in the flea market, he, he, he, to counter her being seen in posh shops, wearing bakya and plain house dress, buyot ang bag. if she can walk with kings, she can walk with common tao and shop in their shops too. it wont kill her.
CHIT NAVARRO says
Raissa, mukhang kinuyog ka ng mga Duterte fanatics…. all in defense of their idol’s partner….
Ang problema nga lang ay wala namang sense ang kanilang pinagsasabi –
nakaksuka nga lang basahin dahil masyado nilang dinedepensa ang walang kadepe-depensang isyu..
But you’re made of great stuff – kaya mo sila lahat!!!
Magdasal na lang tayo na one day soon God is taking away all that does not belong to Him in our beloved country!
sam says
just wondering (kamot ulo) Du30 is in Russia now … sino kasama niya, Si honeylet or the mocha pets?
If and maybe kasama niya mga mocha pets, did they gave a show for Putin? And if is Honeylet naman, saan naman kaya siya nag shopping?