Skipping Court Summons, the Presidential Security Force Must Be Withdrawn from Jokowi’s Protection Unit
By: Wilson Lalengke
Jakarta – In a state governed by the rule of law, every citizen, including the President and former President of the Republic of Indonesia, is obliged to comply with the existing judicial system. When a head of state repeatedly refuses to appear in response to a judge’s summons in an official trial, he is not only violating the law, but also injuring the fundamental principles of national life and statehood.
That is what has occurred with the President of the Republic of Indonesia for the 2014–2024 period, Joko Widodo (Jokowi), in the case of alleged fake academic credentials, which to this day has not been resolved transparently.
Jokowi’s refusal to attend the trial is not merely a personal stance, but a form of defiance against the supremacy of the law. On several occasions, the court has summoned him to provide clarification regarding the serious allegations concerning the validity of his academic documents. However, these summonses were ignored. This attitude raises a major question: can a president shield himself from legal proceedings simply because of his position?
Moreover, the presence of the Presidential Security Force (Paspampres) around Jokowi only strengthens the impression that he is using state facilities as a shield to avoid legal responsibility. Paspampres is an elite unit formed to protect the head of state from physical threats and to maintain national stability. However, when that protection is used to evade court summonses, then the function of Paspampres has been abused.
Paspampres is not a personal fortress. They are not a tool to silence legal processes or intimidate those seeking justice. They are paid with the people’s money, and therefore the people have every right to demand that this force not be used to protect individuals who defy the law. State protection must not be given to those who refuse to submit to the legal system that forms the foundation of democracy.
As a citizen and legal activist, I, Wilson Lalengke—an alumnus of the 48th Regular Education Program (PPRA) of the Indonesian National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas RI) in 2012—deliver a firm demand to the Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), through the Commander of Paspampres, to withdraw all personnel assigned to guard President Jokowi and his family. This demand is not a form of personal hatred, but a moral call to maintain the integrity of state institutions.
Withdrawing Paspampres from Jokowi’s protection is both a symbolic and a substantive step. Symbolic because it shows that the state will not protect anyone who breaks the law, and substantive because it restores the function of Paspampres as a guardian of the constitution, not a guardian of power. If a president is unwilling to submit to the law, then he is not worthy of receiving protection from an institution formed on the basis of the constitution.
In this context, we must understand that the presidential office is not legal immunity. Precisely because of his high position, a president must be an example in obeying the law. When he fails to demonstrate this attitude, then all of his moral and political legitimacy deserves to be questioned. And when state apparatus such as Paspampres continue to provide protection without considering legal violations that have been committed, then they too taint the good name of the TNI institution.
We cannot allow this country to continue to be led by a figure who avoids legal processes. We cannot allow the people’s money to be used to protect those who refuse to be held accountable in court. We cannot allow Paspampres to become a symbol of oppressive power, instead of a symbol of fair protection.
The withdrawal of Paspampres from Jokowi’s security detail also sends an important message to all public officials: that a position is not a shield from the law. That the people have the right to demand accountability, and that state institutions must side with justice, not power. If we want to build a truly democratic Indonesia, then we must begin with the most fundamental principle: enforcing the law without discrimination.
As a nation that upholds the values of justice, we cannot remain silent. We must speak up. We must demand that Paspampres no longer be used to protect those who refuse to appear in court. We must demand that the TNI Commander and the Commander of Paspampres take firm action for the sake of preserving the honor of the military institution and the supremacy of the law.
If Jokowi feels he is not guilty, then he should attend court and defend himself openly. If he is confident that the accusation of having a fake diploma is baseless, then he should prove it before a judge, not hide behind a barricade of bodyguards. His absence only strengthens the suspicion that there is something being concealed.
This nation must not be led by those who fear the law. It must be led by those who are brave enough to face the law, because only in this way can we build a just, transparent, and dignified country. (*)
The writer is a Human Rights Petitioner at the conference the 80th Petitioners Hearing at the Fourth Committee of the United Nations, New York,