Indonesia’s Jokowi arrives in PH for state visit

MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrived in the Philippine capital Manila on Sunday, February 8, for his first state visit to the country.

Jokowi, accompanied by his first lady Iriana, arrived at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City Sunday afternoon, flying in from state visits in Malaysia and Brunei.

Vice President Jejomar Binay led the welcoming party at the airbase.

Dressed in traditional batik shirt, Jokowi and his party were whisked away minutes after arrival without making any statement.

“In the spirit of ASEAN solidarity, it is tradition on the part of a new head of state to immediately conduct introductory visits to fellow ASEAN Member States,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Saturday, February 7.

On Monday, February 9, Jokowi is set to meet with President Benigno Aquino III, and the two leaders are expected to have an expanded bilateral meeting in the afternoon.

“President Widodo will meet with President Aquino to discuss matters of mutual concern, including migrant workers issues, maritime cooperation, defense, trade and investment, and people-to-people exchanges, among others,” the DFA said.

Aquino will also host a state dinner in honor of the Indonesian leader. Jokowi is set to depart for Jakarta later in the evening.

Jokowi’s visit also comes as the Philippines formally requests a judicial review of a case involving a Filipino drug courier in Indonesia’s death row. 

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the leaders would discuss drug trafficking but did not say if they would address the case.

“We are in discussions to further work out cooperation in various areas of mutual interest and concerns, such as migrant workers, technical-vocational skills upgrading, the combatting of trafficking of narcotics, and (for) educational visits,” Lacierda said.

Talking China?

China is also likely to be on the agenda, analysts say, with Indonesia regarded as having a potentially pivotal role in calming rising tensions between Manila and Beijing over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

In August, then-president-elect Widodo told Japan’s Asahi newspaper that Indonesia, which has better bilateral ties with China than the Philippines, stood ready to act as an intermediary.

“Indonesia has the gravitas to be the champion of peace in the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations). Widodo can also be our partner in our efforts to improve relations with China,” Wilfrido Villacorta, a former Philippine ambassador to ASEAN, said.

“Even if Indonesia is not a claimant country (in the South China Sea dispute), it has always been playing the role of a convenor of important discussions on the issue since the 1980s,” said Villacorta, now an international relations specialist at De la Salle University in Manila.

The Philippines signed a maritime border accord with neighboring Indonesia in May 2014 that has been hailed as a model for peacefully settling territorial disputes.

Last month, Widodo, who has disappointed rights activists by voicing support for capital punishment, angered several countries by allowing the execution of 6 offenders on drug charges last month, including 5 foreigners.

The Catholic-majority Philippines does not have the death penalty. – With reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com