By Argyll Cyrus Geducos
It's Valentine's Day in the season of Halloween for the presidential couple after President Duterte said that despite his penchant for women, his common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña is his true love.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his partner Cielito “Honeylet” Avanceña pose for a photo with the staff of the Meatshop section on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Gaisano Grand Citygate Mall at the Buhangin District in Davao City on October 19, 2018. RICHARD MADELO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO/ MANILA BULLETIN
In a speech in Davao City, Duterte expressed his love for his partner after he made mention of a lady governor, who happens to be an ex-girlfriend he refused to name, who supported him during the previous elections.
"Ah di ko kay naminaw si Honeylet. Karon pa ni siya siguro mahibaw. Naa pay usang gobernadora ngari nga dugay nang panahon, bata pa pud mi, nauyab nako. (Ah I won’t say because Honeylet is listening. Maybe this is the first time that she will hear this. There’s one other lady governor here who --- it was a long time ago when we were still young --- was my girlfriend. Did you know about that?)" he said.
"Pero siya na man gyuy akong true love, Honeylet. Kani sa tanang nakit-an nako, mao ni negosyante na mutuo gyud ko ana. (But she is really my true love, Honeylet. Out of everyone else that I know, she’s the one that I will really believe in)," he added.
Duterte also shared how Avanceña earned her riches by being an overseas Filipino worker (OFW).
"OFW lang ni. Pero maayo mu… Kay valedictorian ni eh. Oh tinuod na. Iyang anak naliwat niya. (She was just an OFW. But she is good at… Because she’s a valedictorian. That’s true. Her daughter takes after her)," he said.
"Agsugod lang intawon og usa kabuok Mr. Donut katong likod sa UM. Didto unya niadto siya’g America, nag-ipon og kwarta, trabaho. Overseas worker man ni. (It just started with just one Mr. Donut store, the one at the back of UM. And then she went to America to work and save money. She’s an overseas worker)," he added.
"Pag-uli niya, naka-capital siya, nag-franchise napud siya’g usa unya nisulod pagka kaning karne. Kanang karne diha iya na. (When she came home, she had saved up for capital, she franchised another one and then ventured into the meat business. The meat being sold here is hers)," he continued.
Avanceña, a former nurse, has been Duterte's partner for at least 20 years. They have a teenage daughter together, Veronica.
Before Avanceña, Duterte was married to Elizabeth Zimmerman before their marriage ended in annulment in the late 90s. They have three children together: former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, and Sebastian Duterte.