Philippines’ President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr made the customary highlight of similarities between his country and Indonesia, after he touched down in Jakarta yesterday to mark his first overseas visit as a president since coming into office in June.
President Joko Widodo welcomed Bongbong at the Bogor Presidential Palace today to kick off a meeting between the leaders and ministers of two nations.
“We are close, not only in terms of geographical location, but also in terms of culture and ethnicity,” Bongbong said in his opening remark to Jokowi.
“Although this is the first time I’ve been to Jakarta, we look around and it feels like home.”
Economic relations and the interconnectivity between the two nations are at the forefront of the two leaders’ meeting. What’s not yet clear is whether or not Bongbong will plead for the release of Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipina who has been on death row in Indonesia for 12 years after she was controversially found guilty of drug trafficking.
Related — Will Marcos Jr act to help Mary Jane Veloso while in Indonesia? Palace won’t say
Bongbong is scheduled to leave Jakarta for the second leg of his overseas trip in Singapore tomorrow.
