MANILA, Philippines – Indonesian President Joko Widodo has approached President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., seeking his support for the procurement of anti-submarine warfare aircraft from Indonesia.
“I also seek Your Excellency’s support related to the purchase of anti-submarine warfare aircrafts for the Philippine Navy from Indonesia,” Widodo told Marcos Jr. during their bilateral meeting in Malacañang.
Widodo did not provide specifics on the model and cost of the military equipment that Indonesia aims to offer to the Philippines. Additionally, he encouraged the Philippines to enhance its collaborations with Indonesia, particularly in the realms of security and the economy.
Expressing his satisfaction with the collaboration between the two nations, Widodo emphasized the need for ongoing and reinforced partnerships in both economic and security aspects.
“I’m delighted about positive progress about the implementation of our two countries’ action plan which needs to be followed up with concrete steps to strengthen collaboration especially in two areas of cooperation,” he said.
“I welcome the strengthening of cooperation on border security, including on joint patrols, but there are many things still to be improved,” he added.
The Indonesian president conveyed optimism about the possibility of signing additional agreements related to border crossings and joint patrols between the two nations.
In 2023, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced plans to dispatch an anti-submarine helicopter to the West Philippine Sea amidst escalating maritime tensions between the Philippines and China.
In their discussions, Marcos and Widodo agreed to enhance border cooperation and speed up revisions to the 1975 agreements regarding border patrol and crossings between the Philippines and Indonesia. In addition to security concerns, Widodo discussed market access issues, specifically the SSG duties on Indonesian instant coffee.
“In the field of economy, in order to enhance trade we have agreed to continue to open market access and Indonesia seeks the Philippines’ support related to special safeguard measures on Indonesian coffee products,” Widodo said.
Malacañang has not disclosed Marcos’ stance on the requests made by Widodo. Widodo is in the final year of his second term in office.
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