Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) expressed on Monday his deep condolences over the death of Doni Monardo, the former chief of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).

"On behalf of myself and the government, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family of Doni Monardo," Jokowi stated at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.

Jokowi prayed that Monardo's sins would be forgiven and his spirit would be accepted by God.

Earlier, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin also expressed his feeling of loss over Monardo's demise.

Amin remembered him as a figure of integrity whose abilities were needed by the state.

"The vice president highly respects his integrity as a figure whom the country needed," Vice President's spokesperson, Masduki Baidlowi, said on Sunday evening (December 3).

Monardo passed away on Sunday, December 3, 2023, at around 5:35 p.m. local time

Monardo was inaugurated as Chief of BNPB in January 2019. He initiated the formation of the Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling that later became the Task Force for Handling COVID-19 in March 2020.

Monardo's funeral was held in South Tangerang, Banten, according to an official statement from the Retired Indonesian Military-Army Association (PPAD) on Sunday.

On Monday morning, Monardo's body was released with full military honors from the funeral home to the Special Forces Command Base in Cijantung, led by Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Arif Rahman, as the inspector of ceremonies.

Monardo was buried at Kalibata Heroes Cemetery, South Jakarta, on Monday. His funeral ceremony was led by Chief of Army Staff, General Maruli Simanjuntak.

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Translator: Rangga J, Kenzu
Editor: Anton Santoso
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