Indonesia says it is ‘so proud’ to be the first country Marcos Jr visits

With President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr scheduled to visit the neighboring countries of Singapore and Indonesia in September, Indonesia ambassador to the Philippines Agus Widjojo said their country was proud to be the first country Marcos Jr visits as president.

“The government and the people of Indonesia are so proud that Indonesia will be the first country to be visited by the President of the Philippines right after his inauguration,” Widjojo said in a forum hosted by the Philippine Council for Foreign Relations.

The ambassador said that choosing Indonesia as the president’s first stop was “valid proof of the strong bond between our two countries.”

Marcos Jr will be in Indonesia from September 4 to 6, where he is also slated to meet with Filipinos based in the country during the state visit.

He will be in Singapore from September 6 to 7.

In a previous press conference, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said that aside from Marcos Jr’s visits to the ASEAN countries, a visit to the United States is reportedly in the works — in July, US President Joe Biden invited Marcos Jr to Washington despite the fact that he still faces a US$353-million contempt order in relation to a human rights class suit against his father, Marcos Sr.

Yet in a visit to the Philippines in June, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman confirmed that Marcos would be protected by diplomatic immunity once he steps onto US soil.