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Traveling with Teddy, Prabowo Attends Opening of 49th ASEAN Summit in the Philippines

15 November 2026, 08:24 WIB

Adhyasta Dirgantara,

Bilal Ramadhan

Tim Redaksi

This article was translated by AI. Read the original article on Kompas.com. See Original

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Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto poses for a photo with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the ASEAN Summit in the Philippines on Sunday (15/11/2026).(Dok. YouTube Sekretariat Presiden)

Writer Adhyasta Dirgantara

Editor Bilal Ramadhan

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto attended the opening of the 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila, Philippines, on Sunday morning (15/11/2026).

According to a broadcast by the Presidential Secretariat on YouTube, Prabowo arrived in a black sedan.

He was seen wearing a suit and a black cap.

Prabowo was accompanied by the Chief of Staff, Colonel Teddy Indra Wijaya, who sat in the front seat.

Afterward, Prabowo greeted Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and his wife, Louise Araneta-Marcos.

Prabowo then posed for a photo with Bongbong and Louise. He appeared to have a brief conversation with Bongbong after the photo session.

Not long after, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived at the venue.

So, what issues will Prabowo discuss with other leaders at the ASEAN Summit in the Philippines?

It is expected that the South China Sea dispute will be one of the key topics of discussion at the 49th ASEAN Summit.

One highlighted issue is the negotiations between ASEAN and China regarding the Code of Conduct (CoC) in the region.

According to reports from Channel News Asia (CNA), on Saturday, the Philippines, as the chair of ASEAN 2026, stated that approximately 70 percent of the CoC draft has been agreed upon.

However, several issues remain unresolved, including the scope of the agreement, legal status, and implementation mechanisms.

International relations expert from Padjadjaran University, Teuku Rezasyah, believes that negotiations need to be expedited amid increasing assertiveness from China in asserting its maritime claims.

China claims most of the South China Sea, which overlaps with claims from several Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Indonesia is not a primary claimant in the territorial disputes. However, the activities of Chinese fishing vessels and coast guard ships have previously triggered tensions in the waters around the northern Natuna Sea.