AJLPP Update

February 7, 2009

Philippine President Arroyo Snubbed by Obama

MANILA, Philippines- US President Barack Obama is proving to be a very elusive prey for a Philippine President supposedly dogging him for a meeting.

Instead Arroyo met withUS State Secretary Clinton. Ms Arroyo briefed Clinton on the government’s refocusing the campaign for peace in Mindanao from the armed groups to dialogues with communities, and that engagement with insurgent groups like the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would be about “disarmament, demobilization and rehabilitation”.

Ms Arroyo also told Clinton that she has reconstituted the government peace negotiating panel for the resumption of talks with the MILF, which were called off last August following the aborted signing of provisional agreement on an expanded autonomous territory for Muslims.

“And she [Clinton] said she would be supportive of that as well,” Undersecretary of the Press Lorelei Fajardo said.

A State Department official who outlined their private talk to reporters did not indicate that they discussed the Filipino veterans and their long drive for compensation.

The meeting with Clinton came a day after Ms Arroyo attended the main event of the week-long National Prayer Breakfast last Thursday, where press speculations at home said the President expected but failed to have a chat with or even shake Obama’s hand.

Obama arrived late for the event and was whisked off after his speech, failing to greet any head of state, according to Palace aides.

Deputy Spokesperson Anthony Golez was miffed at press reports that the failure to meet with Obama was an embarrassment for the country and for Ms Arroyo.

Embarassing Arroyo

“First of all, we’re not aware that there would be a meeting between the President and President Obama. Some just want to play this up to embarrass the President,” he said.

Golez was apparently irked at Ms Arroyo being portrayed as having made repeated attempts to meet with Obama since his election. She supposedly tried to meet him during visits to the US last June and November. It is said that all she managed to get was a phone chat when he returned her congratulatory call some weeks after his election victory.

The President made the unscheduled two-day working visit to the US this week supposedly in hopes of finally meeting the US President at the prayer breakfast.

The visit to Washington, D.C. was the last leg of Ms Arroyo’s seven-day, five-nation trip through Switzerland, Italy, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Before returning to Manila, the President also met with 20 members of the US-Asean Business Council to discuss how the country is dealing with the global financial crisis.

Ms Arroyo also received a call from retired Navy Admiral Dennis Blair, Obama’s Director of National Intelligence. They discussed strengthening ties on counter-terrorism, Fajardo said. Blair’s last job in the military was as Commander in Chief of the US Pacific Command, the highest ranking officer over all US forces in the Asia-Pacific region.

Ms Arroyo and her party are expected to arrive in Manila this morning.

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