Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s partner, Honeylet Avanceña, made scathing remarks about the Philippines’ security situation during an event in The Hague, citing the abduction and murder of Chinese-Filipino businessman Anson Que.

Avanceña sarcastically quipped “congratulations” to the country and to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., referencing rising crime and a survey ranking two Philippine cities among the most dangerous, as public anxiety over violent crime mounts.

At a gathering of supporters outside the International Criminal Court detention facility in The Hague, Netherlands, Avanceña, the long-time partner of detained former President Rodrigo Duterte delivered a caustic message on the state of public safety in the Philippines. “Congrats sa Pinas. May kinidnap na naman at pinatay,” Avanceña said in Filipino, which translates to “Congratulations to the Philippines. Someone was kidnapped and killed again.”

Her remark, made in a tone of biting sarcasm, was aimed at the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., as supporters around her marked the 21st birthday of Duterte’s daughter Veronica “Kitty” Duterte outside the facility. (Duterte, 78, has been held in The Hague since March after his arrest on an ICC warrant over alleged crimes against humanity during his war on drugs.

Avanceña followed up with another pointed quip suggesting the Philippines had earned international notoriety for lawlessness. She alluded to a recent survey indicating that two cities in the country were ranked among the most dangerous. “Congrats again… Congrats BBM,” she added, directly addressing Marcos by his initials.

Avanceña did not cite a specific source, but a 2025 global crime index recently listed Manila and Quezon City as having among the highest crime levels in Asia – second and third respectively, behind only Damascus, Syria.

The implication was clear: she was sarcastically “congratulating” the current government for the Philippines’ apparent decline in safety rankings.