MANILA, Philippines –  President Rodrigo Duterte is in Jordan right after a controversial trip  to Israel and amid the furor back home caused by his order to void the amnesty granted to Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

Duterte arrived in Amman, Jordan, around 5:17 pm (Jordan time) on Wednesday, September 5, becoming the first Philippine President to set foot there.

He is accompanied by a 229-member delegation, including officials, security, close-in staff, and media. It’s not yet clear how many businessmen joined the trip but in Israel, there were “at least” 150 of them, according to Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque.

Here are some members of his delegation:

• Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea (accompanied by wife Betty Medialdea)
• Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano
• Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III
• Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (accompanied by wife Edith Lorenzana)
• Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez
• Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu
• Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade
• Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi
• National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr
• Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque (accompanied by wife Mylah Roque)
• Special Assistant to the President Bong Go
• Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio
• Presidential Political Adviser Francis Tolentino
• Senator Richard Gordon
• Quezon City 4th District Representative Feliciano Belmonte Jr
• Department of the Interior and Local Government Officer-in-Charge Eduardo Año
• Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Elson Hermogino
• Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission commissioner Greco Belgica
• Presidential Adviser for Indigenous Peoples’ Concerns Allen Capuyan
• Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson

Schedule of activities

Thursday, September 6, is Duterte’s first full day in Jordan. It starts with a welcome ceremony at around lunch time at the Al Husseinieh Palace Courtyard.

He will then have a meeting with King Abdullah II, ruler of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. This will be followed by a working lunch.

Later that day, Duterte will attend a business forum at a hotel.

On Friday, September 7, Duterte will give a speech in front of Filipinos based in Jordan. The gathering will be held at the Royal Cultural Palace. Right after, he leaves Jordan for his hometown of Davao City.

He arrives in Davao on Sunday morning. Upon his arrival Duterte is expected to report to Filipinos on what he accomplished on his trips to Israel and Jordan.

Deals

The Philippines expects to sign the following documents with the Jordan government:

• Memorandum of Understanding on defense cooperation Elson Hermogino: For upgrades to the Philippines’ defense capabilities
• Agreement on the employment of domestic workers
• Memorandum of Understanding on labor cooperation: To ensure improvements in the working conditions of Filipino domestic workers bound for Jordan
• Investment agreement with Jordan Investment Commission:  For enhanced trade and investment between Philippines and jordan
• Mutual recognition of Standard of Training and Certification of Watchkeepers for Seafarers: To help seafarers be better equipped for jobs with Jordan shipping companies

Duterte and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr have also talked in the past of an impending donation from Jordan of two refurbished Bell AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters. So eager was the Philippine President for these choppers that he agreed to tone down  his insults to Jordanian prince and former United Nations human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.

Zeid happens to be the cousin of King Abdullah II.

But last August 1, Duterte warned that if the helicopters don’t arrive in the Philippines soon, he would resume his tirades against the Jordanian royal. – Rappler.com