đź“·Gerry Cacanindin | FB
Detained former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s youngest daughter, Veronica “Kitty” Duterte, unintentionally confirmed that she is an American citizen earlier this week.
In a video captured during a recent public appearance in The Hague, Netherlands, Kitty, along with her elder sister, Vice President Sara Duterte, engaged with supporters and media.
While interacting with the crowd, Kitty was briefly seen holding a U.S. passport before quickly tucking it into her bag. This moment sparked attention as it inadvertently disclosed her dual nationality.
In another earlier social media post, a flight attendant excitedly shared a photo on Facebook stories when Kitty and her mother, Cielito “Honeylet” Avanceña, flew to the Netherlands. The post clearly showed Kitty’s citizenship listed as “American,” further confirming her dual citizenship status.
Her father also explained the origins of Kitty’s American citizenship in a 2017 interview. At the time, former President Duterte revealed that Kitty’s mother, Honeylet, had worked as a nurse in the United States before returning to the Philippines.
Duterte shared, “Iyong anak ko sa second wife ko na—Amerikana ‘yan kasi citizen. Filipino ‘yung itsura pero doon ipinanganak ‘yon,” referring to Kitty’s birth in the U.S. and subsequent acquisition of American citizenship.
The Philippines allows dual citizenship under Republic Act No. 9225, or the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003. This law permits natural-born Filipinos who have become naturalized citizens of another country to retain or reacquire their Philippine citizenship by taking an oath of allegiance to the Philippines. (TCSP)
