Honeylet Avanceña faces assault charges for hitting policewoman during Duterte's arrest

Honeylet Avanceña faces direct assault charges for allegedly hitting a female member of the Special Action Force during Rodrigo Duterte's arrest and transfer to The Netherlands.

Former President Duterte was arrested based on an Interpol notice and transported to The Netherlands to face International Criminal Court (ICC) charges related to his drug war.

Photos released by the PNP show a policewoman sustaining a lump on her forehead, reportedly caused by being hit with Avanceña's cellphone during the arrest operation at Villamor Airbase.

New footage and reports confirm that Avanceña struck the policewoman while officers were moving her and Veronica 'Kitty' Duterte away from the scene.

The SAF member who was injured is set to file charges against Avanceña for assault, with Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo stating there are videos proving the incident occurred.

Despite the altercation, Philippine authorities emphasized exercising maximum tolerance during the arrest and ensured due process was followed throughout the operation.