US President-elect Barack Obama continues to snub Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, fanning speculations in the Philippines on the reason behind such unkind gesture.
The Arroyo administration tried Sunday to rationalize the failure of United States President-elect Barack Obama to return a congratulatory message from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, saying the two leaders already have “an understanding of pressing issues concerning their respective countries.”
Filipino observers noted the apparent Obama snub on Arroyo as the newly elected US President called up various world leaders on Wednesday after his historic victory. The leaders included Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Philippine officials wondered aloud why Obama did not talk to Arroyo last week and during Arroyo’s visit to the United States last month, considering that the Philippines, the only former US colony in Asia, has been America’s staunchest and longest ally in Asia.
On Sunday, Arroyo’s chief of staff, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, deflected the apparent US snub, alleging that Obama had actually written a letter to Arroyo citing the “shared history” between the United States and the Philippines .
However, Ermita admitted that Arroyo received the Obama letter on June 24, 2008, months before the US presidential election.
In that letter, “President-elect Obama outlined issues and concerns for collaboration between the Philippines and the United States ,” Ermita said.
He said the these issues include climate change, food security, poverty reduction, the future of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, human rights in Burma and defense reform.
“President-elect Obama expressed confidence in successfully addressing these challenges,” Ermita said.
He said Obama told Arroyo in his letter that the bond between the US and the Philippines “is enriched by a vibrant and successful Filipino-American community that has made such enormous contributions to our country (the United States ).”
In addition, Obama cited the parallel historical paths that the two countries have taken through the years, starting from World War II up to the Cold War and down to the present global campaign against terrorism.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney assured Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines , of good days ahead with Obama in the White House.
“He spent several childhood years in Southeast Asia . That is gonna be good news. I think when you grow up already loving Southeast Asia, with the region close to you heart, for us here, that is gonna be good news,” Kenney said in a television interview.
Obama was born in Hawaii but his father hails from Kenya . He lived in Indonesia for four years, spending his elementary school days in Jakarta
Unconfirmed reports said among Obama friends are Filipino US residents who came from the Ilocos region.
Kenney said based on Obama’s speech after his election last Tuesday, the President-elect has shown his “global outlook” and promised to “reach out” to America ’s friends around the world, including the Philippines .
