16 September 2016 — On the occasion of his Working Visit to Indonesia on September 09, President Rodrigo Duterte had the opportunity to meet with the Filipino Community of Indonesia at the Grand Ballroom of the Shangri-la Hotel Jakarta.

Members of the Filipino community came from all over Indonesia, aside from those in Jakarta and nearby Bandung, to hear the President’s message.  Filipino Community members from as far away as Medan, Bali, Semarang, and Surabaya attended the event, numbering to a total of more than 550.

In her welcome remarks, Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Maria Lumen Isleta thanked the Filipino Community for honoring the President with their presence at the event, and announced on their behalf, the Filipino Community’s fund raising drive to support the families of fallen police and soldiers who are casualties of the President’s aggressive drive against drug criminals.

In his speech to the Filipino Community, President Duterte reiterated his sincere desire to rid the government of corruption and the country of the drug menace, promising that within his term in office he will deliver a “clean government” and a “clean Philippines” so that Filipinos can again walk the streets without fear.

During the last presidential elections in May 2016, President Duterte won the majority of overseas votes in Indonesia or 62% of the total number of registered voters who actually voted.

He also briefly mentioned the issues that he will bring to Indonesian President Widodo’s attention, including his war on drugs, his campaign against the Abu Sayyaf group, as well as cooperation to stop terrorism and to resolve the South China Sea issue. END