Palace: Melania invited Honeylet to UN event

Malacañang said President Duterte’s common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña was invited by United States First Lady Melania Trump to attend events at the United Nations General Assembly, in New York City.

Avanceña was seen in Broadway, supposedly after watching Miss Saigon, on Tuesday.

When asked by ABS-CBN reported Don Tagala if she was in New York for the UN General Assembly, Avanceña responded with a “yes” and that she was invited.

She, however, did not specify her role or participation in the international gathering.

According to Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella, the Palace has no official statement regarding Avanceña being in New York but said she was invited by her American counterpart.

Advocacy work Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar, said that while Avanceña is not part of the official Philippine delegation to the UN General Assembly, she is in New York to participate in some side meetings as part of her advocacy work.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano is leading the official Philippine delegation to the UN General Assembly after President Duterte opted to personally attend to developments in Marawi City.

‘Mocha’ in NY Aside from Avanceña, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) assistant secretary Margaux “Mocha” Uson was also seen as part of the delegation to the UNGA.

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, in a radio interview, said Uson is in New York as requested by Cayetano.

“She was really requested by the Office of Secretary Cayetano na sumama doon sa New York para mag-cover (to join the official delegation and cover the event),” he said.