Indonesian President Widodo to visit PHL next week, hold talks with Marcos

Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo will visit Manila next week to meet President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as the former winds down his final term as a leader who rose from modest beginnings to become head of the world's largest Muslim-majority nation.

Diplomatic sources told GMA News Online that Widodo will be in Manila from January 10 to 11 for meetings with Marcos and other top officials to deepen the relationship of the two most vibrant democracies in Southeast Asia. Marcos went to Indonesia in September 2022 for his first state visit, months after he ascended to the presidency,

On the same week of Widodo's visit, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi will meet in Manila on January 9 for the 7th Philippines-Indonesia Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC). 

"The JCBC is the primary dialogue mechanism between the Philippines and Indonesia to review accomplishments on mutual collaboration initiatives, exchange views on issues of mutual interest, and consider plans for enhancing cooperation," Department of Foreign Affairs statement said.

The DFA said Marcos is pleased to welcome his Indonesian counterpart for his upcoming official visit. 

''The Philippines and Indonesia, both founding members of ASEAN, are close neighbors and partners that have enjoyed longstanding and robust cooperation in a wide range of areas in the political, economic, and people-to-people relations,” it said.

According to the DFA, Marcos’ meeting with Widodo is anticipated to take stock of the progress in the ties between the Philippines and Indonesia following the successful state visit of the Filipino leader to Jakarta in September 2022. 

The two ministers are also expected to exchange views on key regional and international issues of common concern for the Philippines and Indonesia, it added.

Widodo, 62, is set to step down from his second and final presidential term on October 21 this year.

Widodo, who served as governor of Jakarta from 2012-2014 and mayor of Surakarta from 2005-2012, was the first Indonesian leader to emerge from outside Indonesia's political and military elite.

His presidency is noted for its focus on infrastructure and economic development. 

In previous meetings with Widodo, Marcos Jr. has discussed the case of Filipina Mary Jane Veloso, currently on Indonesia's death row for drug-related charges, and is likely to raise the touchy issue again.—with Anna Felicia Bajo/AOL, GMA Integrated News