TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The House’s Commission I overseeing defense, foreign affairs, and information has responded to presidential hopeful Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s plans to purchase a drone if elected president.

Commission I deputy chief Ramadhan Pohan said that any state purchase worth above Rp1 trillion must first secure the House’s consent.

“He must detail the needs of the nation’s primary weaponry defense system (alutsista),” Ramadhan said at the House complex in Senayan, Jakarta, June 5, 2014. He added the commission would support any policy to beef up alutsista. “But it has to be coupled with scientific and factual review.”

The Democrat lawmaker said Jokowi was entitled to saying anything during the latter’s presidential campaigns, but he reminded that the state’s budget was limited while the state’s defense needs were not. “There is a difference between being a mayor or a governor and a president,” he said.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)’s presidential contender Joko Widodo said yesterday he would purchase three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or drones if elected president. The Jakarta governor said superb defense system was necessary to preserve the nation’s security and ward off external disturbances posing a threat to Indonesia’s security.

“So we can be proud of our soldiers and defense [system],” he said.

Jokowi took for example that the US defense system, despite being located in Nevada, was able to monitor situations up to Iraq and Afghanistan, thanks to its drones. “If we have UAVs, we can identify who’s playing around with us,” he said.

Jokowi said the drones could also be used to detect illegal fishing and illegal logging activities and forest fires, adding that the drones’ prices were relatively affordable. “It will be around Rp1.5 trillion in total,” he explained. Jokowi, however, said the purchase should be coupled with transfer of technology.

WAYAN AGUS PURNOMO