President Rodrigo Duterte, his common-law wife and daughter have been in Hong Kong (HK) since Friday night for a week-end getaway and are returning today, former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said.

Mr. Duterte was with common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña and their teenaged daughter Veronica.

“It is true that President Duterte went to Hong Kong with his long-time partner Ma’am Honeylet and their daughter Kitty for a personal trip,” Go said.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo also confirmed the three were in Hong Kong for Avanceña’s birthday on Saturday.

In a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report yesterday, Mr. Duterte was seen dressed in a dark suit while roaming inside fashion wear chain Uniqlo’s shop at the World Trade Center in Causeway Bay around 6 p.m. with his bodyguards.

In a photo taken by HK’s Southern District Council member Henry Chai Man-hon posted on the website, a female shopper was surprised to see Duterte walking around the store.

The report added few Filipinos were around when the President visited Hong Kong shops.

Some recognized the President but no one greeted him. Mr. Duterte, however, talked to shop staff about the products.

Go explained it was actually the President’s youngest child who requested the trip which they had already done before when Duterte was still mayor of Davao City.

Duterte designated Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea as officer-in-charge while the President is abroad, according to Go.

“Before the President left, he designated Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea as OIC to be in charge of the daily operations of the Office of the President,” he added.

President Duterte went to Hong Kong with his long-time partner Ma’am Honeylet and their daughter Kitty for a personal trip.

Duterte’s trip to Hong Kong took place four months after he and his family spent the weekend in the same country to take a break on 7 October 2018.

The President also met some 2,500 Filipinos in Hong Kong after attending the Boao Economic Forum Asia in the southern Chinese province of Hainan in April 2018.