Paolo Duterte: My father has no plans to sell his Davao home

Former President Rodrigo Duterte has no plans to sell his home in Davao City even after a photo of his property with a “for sale” sign circulated online earlier this week, according to his son, Davao Rep. Paolo Duterte.—LYN RILLON.

MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte has no plans to sell his home in Davao City even after a photo of his property with a “for sale” sign circulated online earlier this week.

Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte revealed his father’s sentiments when asked about the photos in an interview posted on Alvin & Tourism’s Facebook Page.

“Yes, I asked him about that. At first, I avoided bringing it up because we know how he is inside (ICC), it’s depressing. So I asked him if he sold our grandmother’s house, and he said he wouldn’t sell it and wouldn’t allow it,” the lawyer said in Bisaya.

“Then I told him directly that his house in Doña Luisa was for sale. He replied: ‘Why is it up for sale?’ He said it was his first house, and Honeylet had her own big house,” he added.

Citing his father, the younger Duterte disclosed that the property’s title is registered under the name of the former president’s common-law wife, Honeylet Avanceña.

“His answer was unclear, but if the house was sold already, then we can’t do anything about it. But for now, our mom said that he can stay with us if he gets out of the ICC (International Criminal Court),” the congressman said of his father.

He added that they have their own homes to which the older Duterte could also stay.

On June 12, the former president formally appealed to the ICC for an interim release to an undisclosed country, citing the reported willingness of a certain State Party to host him. However, prosecutors opposed the former president’s appeal and called on the tribunal’s Pre-Trial Chamber I to junk the request.

READ: Citing old age, Duterte asks ICC for temporary liberty

Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang argued that the continued detention of Duterte remains necessary to ensure his appearance at trial.

Last March 11, Duterte was served an arrest warrant from the ICC for crimes against humanity he allegedly committed during his administration’s bloody war against drugs. He is currently in The Hague, Netherlands, and attended his pre-trial hearing via video call last March 14.

Based on reports, Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, dubbed as Oplan Tokhang, left at least 6,000 people dead, but human rights groups have reported at least 20,000 killed./coa