Cop hit by Honeylet Avanceña during Duterte arrest to receive medal

A montage of the scuffle at the Villamor Air Base in the Philippines on March 11, 2025. KITTY DUTERTE/PNP

The police officer who was struck by Honeylet Avanceña during the arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will be awarded the Medalya ng Sugatang Magiting (Medal of Honor), the Philippine National Police - Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) confirmed on Friday (March 14). CIDG chief Police Major General Nicolas Torre III said in an interview with Unang Balita that the officer would also be granted a three-day leave as part of the recognition. “Sa ngayon, bibigyan na lang namin ng Medalya ng Sugatang Magiting dahil may kasama 'yung three days leave. Kaya ma-enjoy niya 'yung leave na 'yun dahil napukpok siya ni Honeylet sa ulo (For now, we will give her the Medalya of Honor because it includes three days of leave. She can enjoy that leave because Honeylet hit her in the head),” Torre said. The Medalya ng Sugatang Magiting is traditionally awarded to police officers who sustain injuries in action. The medal, a silver disc featuring the figure of Lapu-Lapu, symbolizes courage and resilience.

Legal action still under discussion

While Torre indicated that he was personally not inclined to pursue charges against Duterte’s camp for alleged assault and obstruction of justice, the injured officer has expressed intent to file a direct assault complaint against Avanceña, Duterte's domestic partner. Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro confirmed that authorities will assess whether the case will proceed. “Doon po sa nasaktan po, titignan natin, i-update natin kung siya po ba ay magpapatuloy o itutuloy niya ang pagsampa ng kaso (As for the injured cop, we will look into it and provide updates on whether she will proceed with filing the case.),” Castro said. According to PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo, Avanceña allegedly hit the policewoman with a cellphone, causing a lump on her forehead. Videos of the incident showed groups of police officers surrounding Duterte and his entourage and eventually separating him from them when authorities executed an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him on Tuesday morning. Following the standoff at Villamor Air Base, Duterte was placed on a government-chartered jet bound for the Netherlands. His legal team has since challenged the arrest, arguing that Philippine authorities did not present an official copy of the ICC warrant, violating his constitutional rights. Duterte's daughter and Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte said her father was forced to board the plane, calling it as "state kidnapping". Meanwhile, Duterte’s former chief presidential legal counsel Atty. Salvador Panelo has yet to respond to the PNP's statement. Duterte will make his first appearance in front of the ICC court in the Netherlands on Friday (March 14) for his trial on alleged crimes against humanity linked to his controversial war on drugs. CAM/Expat Media