PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday affirmed the Philippines’ commitment to strengthen its ties with Indonesia as he congratulated Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka on their inauguration in Jakarta.
Marcos, accompanied by First Lady Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos, attended the inauguration. They left Saturday night and are expected to be back in Manila today.
Communications Secretary Cesar Chavez said the President has no other official schedule in Indonesia.
Marcos congratulated Subianto and Raka, and noted Indonesia is one of the Philippines’ “longstanding partners and closest friends among fellow founding nations in the ASEAN,” according to Malacañang.
“I reaffirm our nation’s desire to further strengthen our bilateral ties with Indonesia on this momentous occasion and in lieu of our diplomatic relations’ 75th anniversary in November,” Marcos said in a social media post after the inauguration ceremonies.
On Saturday, the Presidential Communications Office said Marcos was attending the inauguration on the invitation of outgoing Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
It also said the attendance of the Marcos couple reaffirms deep and enduring friendship between Manila and Jakarta that was founded on close people-to-people ties.
“As a fellow founding member of the ASEAN, Indonesia is one of the Philippines’ long-standing partners in the region. In 2022, in his first outbound visit after taking office as the new President of the Philippines, President Marcos undertook a state visit to Indonesia. This visit was reciprocated by Indonesian President Joko Widodo who undertook his official visit to the Philippines in January 2024. This exchange of high-level visits is testament to the strong bilateral relations between our two democratic and maritime countries. The President’s attendance in the inauguration also signifies the Philippines’ sincere commitment to further expand and deepen bilateral relations,” PCO added.
Subianto, a former military commander, took over as president of the world’s third-largest democracy, vowing to combat internal issues such as corruption that plague the country and to make it more self-sufficient.
He is Indonesia’s eighth president.
