Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte wants to keep Davao house for sentimental reasons
Honeylet Avancena, Duterte’s partner, has previously put the house up for sale, but a ‘for sale’ sign outside it was later removed
Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has stepped in to defuse a potential family feud over his Davao City house that was put up for sale, saying he is unwilling to offload the property due to its sentimental value.
Duterte’s partner Honeylet Avancena said she was seeking buyers for the residence, citing her emotional concerns ever since the Davao mayor was held in a detention centre in The Hague over his charges linked to his war on drugs, in which thousands of purported dealers and users were killed.
“It hurts my chest every time I go inside. I’m the only one who enters now. There are four house helpers, but no master,” Avancena told radio station DZRH.
“We abandoned it after what happened. I cannot sleep there any more because the lawyers asked us to install CCTV even inside the bedroom.”
A “for sale” sign was seen in front of the house over the weekend, but it later disappeared.
Paolo Duterte, the ex-leader’s lawmaker son, said the home was the first his father bought with his own money, and he “doesn’t want to let it go”.
“I asked him if he was considering selling the house. He said no,” Paolo said after meeting the 80-year-old at the International Criminal Court detention centre on Monday.
When asked if Honeylet had sold the house, the elder Duterte did not give a clear answer. He said Honeylet owned a big house and there was no need to sell his property, the Manila Bulletin reported.
Paolo said: “Our mother already said that when the time comes, and if God wills his release, he can stay in our family’s house”, adding that he had discussed the issue with his siblings, Vice-President Sara Duterte and acting Davao City mayor Sebastian Duterte.
“That house can no longer be considered just our father’s. It has become part of Davao City’s identity, now a known place where people gather,” Paolo said.
Sara has asked that the house be turned into a public landmark to preserve her father’s legacy.
An unnamed source told the Philippine Star: “It is not that easy. It will take a long time before that house will finally be sold, if ever. Or it might [not] really be sold at all. It is a deep issue between the three Duterte kids and Avancena.”
Avancena and Duterte’s children are reportedly not on speaking terms, according to local media.
Sebastian is leading the Davao government after the elder Duterte, who won the election in May, could not take his oath as mayor of their home city due to his imprisonment in The Hague.
