Duterte: ‘Honeylet is really my true love’

DAVAO CITY – President Rodrigo Duterte described his partner, Cielito “Honeylet” Avanceña, as his “true love.”

“Out of everyone else that I know, she’s the one that I will really believe in,” Duterte said during the inauguration of the Gaisano Grand Citygate Mall in Davao City on Friday.

The President made this remark after mentioning in a speech a former girlfriend who happened to be a “gobernadora.”

Duterte and Avanceña have been together for more than 20 years. They have a 13-year-old daughter named Veronica, also known as Kitty.

The President also took pride in Kitty for being smart, just like Avanceña.

“(Avanceña) is good at… Because she’s a valedictorian. That’s true. Her daughter takes after her,” Duterte said.

“Like Honeylet’s daughter. Her lowest grade is 91. That’s the lowest. I told her, ‘Nak, back then I only studied just a little.’ Because she’s always complaining, always studying and rarely goes out anymore,” he added.

Last October 7, Duterte and his family spent the weekend in Hong Kong to take a break.

Duterte arrived at the mall around 5 p.m. and went on to greet the people who had waiting for his arrival outside and inside the mall.

The President then unveiled the marker of the mall, which is owned by the Gaisano family. The family patriarch Benito Gaisano assisted.

Duterte thanked the owners for their trust in the city by building another mall which indicates economic development here.

"Pasalamat ko’g dako. Una, trabaho. Makahatag og trabaho sa mga tao ngari dapita (I want to thank you, first because of the jobs. You can give jobs for the people around here)," he said. (PNA report/Armando B. Fenequito Jr.)