Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines Alexander Gahon Gesmundo, accompanied by several delegates, visited the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia on Monday, May 11, 2026. The delegation was received by Chief Justice Suhartoyo and Deputy Chief Justice Saldi Isra, accompanied by Secretary-General Heru Setiawan as well as representatives of the Constitutional Court’s International Relations Team and the Permanent Secretariat of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions (AACC).

During the meeting, Chief Justice Suhartoyo conveyed the Indonesian Constitutional Court’s support for the Philippines, which is set to assume the AACC chairmanship for the 2027–2029 term. “We believe that the Philippines will be highly capable of carrying out the mandate as Chair of the AACC, so that the forum may continue to serve as an important platform for constitutional courts, supreme courts, and equivalent institutions in protecting human rights. We also hope that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, as the future Chair of the AACC, will be able to synergize with the AACC Secretariat hosted by several institutions, including the Constitutional Court of Indonesia,” Chief Justice Suhartoyo stated.

Chief Justice Suhartoyo also expressed hope that the Philippine Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court of Indonesia could establish more intensive cooperation through specific forums in the future. “We hope to exchange views on the respective jurisdictions of our institutions and discuss interesting issues handled by the Philippine Supreme Court in relation to its jurisdiction, particularly matters comparable to the jurisdiction of Indonesia’s Constitutional Court. In addition, we may also exchange experiences among institutional resources, including registrars and other staff members, to strengthen inter-institutional cooperation within our respective authorities,” Chief Justice Suhartoyo explained.

Indonesia Backs Philippines

In his remarks, Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gahon Gesmundo expressed appreciation for the support extended by the Constitutional Court of Indonesia regarding the Philippines’ future leadership of the AACC. “Thank you for your support for the Philippines, which will serve as Chair of the AACC in 2027. In fact, the Philippines has been a member of the AACC since 2010, although we have not been very active. To become more engaged, we have now appointed representatives, and the Philippines will strive to play a more active role within the AACC,” Chief Justice Alexander stated.

Chief Justice Alexander further noted that, in preparation for the Philippines’ leadership in 2027, the country would strengthen bilateral relations by enhancing cooperation in human resource development and organizing various regular activities. On the same occasion, he also emphasized that although the Philippines does not have a constitutional court similar to Indonesia’s, the constitutional rights of its citizens remain safeguarded under the Constitution and through the Supreme Court.

“The Philippines does not have a Constitutional Court, but we guarantee the rights of citizens under the Constitution and in relation to the legal issues developing in the Philippines. We also look forward to further discussions and cooperation between the Supreme Court of the Philippines and the Constitutional Court of Indonesia,” Chief Justice Alexander explained.

During the meeting, Chief Justice Alexander Gahon Gesmundo was accompanied by Senior Associate Justice Marvic Mario Victor F. Leonen; Acting Vice Chancellor of the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA) and Supreme Court Liaison Officer for AACC Sedfrey M. Candelaria; Deputy Clerk of Court and Chief Technology Officer Jed Sherwin G. Uy; Deputy Chief Justice Staff Head Antonio Ceasar R. Manila; Court Attorney VI Annabelle Therese G. Palomar-Coloma; SC Chief Judicial Staff Officer Armida M. Salazar; Executive Assistant V Stefanie B. Noto-Ayonon; as well as Second Secretary and Consul of the Embassy of the Philippines Maricar S. Yambao.

Preparing for Regional Meetings

Following the judicial dialogue, representatives of the Philippine Supreme Court also held a follow-up meeting regarding preparations for several regional meetings to be held in the coming months. Among the topics discussed was the participation of the President/Chair of the AACC in the Congress and World Conference on Constitutional Justice (WCCJ), which includes Regional Group meetings as an official part of the WCCJ program.

The limited meeting was led by Head of the Public Relations and Protocol Bureau Pan M. Faiz together with the Constitutional Court’s International Relations Team and the Permanent Secretariat of the AACC. The AACC is one of the regional groups within the WCCJ framework, and the President of the AACC presides over the regional meeting. Therefore, optimal preparation is required to ensure that the activities are conducted in line with the organization’s objectives. During the meeting, Faiz elaborated on several technical aspects and the Constitutional Court’s experience in organizing international congresses, which he hoped could serve as initial guidance for the Philippines in preparing future agendas.

“In organizing previous events, we prepared cost estimates covering accommodation, local transportation, meals, and several supporting activities such as cultural programs aimed at ensuring participants’ comfort throughout the congress, excluding airfare expenses for delegates,” Faiz explained.

The Philippine delegates attentively listened to and comprehensively discussed the Constitutional Court’s experience in organizing international events. They requested that the Indonesian Constitutional Court provide not only technical insights regarding the success of the events, but also information concerning challenges related to security, participant comfort, and other matters that the Philippines may need to anticipate in organizing various AACC agendas during its leadership period.