MANILA, Philippines – Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei will visit the Philippines and have bilateral meetings with President Rodrigo Duterte in April.

Sultan Bolkiah’s visit and bilateral meeting will take place on April 27 while President Widodo’s state visit and meeting with Duterte is set on April 28.

“All these happenings on the 28th will also coincide with the visit, state visit, or bilateral visit of Indonesian President Widodo. I might also add that on the 27th we have the bilateral visit of His Majesty Sultan Bolkiah of Brunei,” said Chief of Presidential Protocol Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr on Wednesday, April 19.

Paynor was speaking at a Palace press conference.

The visits of the two leaders coincide with the 30th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings to be held from April 26 to 29.

This will be President Widodo’s second time to visit the Philippines as head of his country. His first state visit was in February 2015 during the administration of Benigno Aquino III.

Paynor said Widodo and Sultan Bolkiah’s bilateral meetings with Duterte will likely build on discussions they had with him back when he visited their countries.

Indonesia was Duterte’s first foreign trip back in September. He visited Brunei the following month, in October.

Paynor elaborated on specific issues Duterte may discuss with Widodo.

“I would imagine that security of our sea lanes, cross-border traffic and patrol, agriculture, I think, may be one of the issues that will be discussed with Indonesia,” he said.

Sultan Bolkiah and Widodo will be the 2nd and 3rd foreign leaders, respectively, who will pay the Philippines a visit during the Duterte administration.

Last January, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the 1st foreign leader to visit Duterte. – Rappler.com