Melania Trump invited Honeylet to an event in New York, Palace says

September 21, 2017

United States First Lady Melania Trump invited President Rodrigo Duterte's longtime partner Cielito "Honeylet" Avancena to New York for an event, Malacanang said on Thursday.

ABS-CBN television network reported that Avancena was seen watching "Miss Saigon" at a theater in New York Tuesday night.

"Madame Cielito Avancena is on a personal trip to NY to attend an event upon the invitation of First Lady of the US, Madame Melania Trump," said Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella in a statement.

He did not say what event Avancena would be attending.

ABS-CBN reported that when Avancena was asked if she was invited to the annual convention of the United Nations General Assembly, she answered in the affirmative.

Duterte did not attend the UN event and instead sent Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano to represent him.

Duterte had said he would not go to the US during his term.

Earlier, Duterte criticized the UN and former US President Barack Obama after they raised concern over the extrajudicial killings of drug suspects in the Philippines. Celerina Monte/DMS