No Advice on Obama Trip Amid US Shutdown, DFA Says

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)on Tuesday said the Philippines receives no notification from Washington over any possible change in President Barack Obama’s scheduled trip to Manila next week amid the US government shutdown.

The US president is expected to make his first ever visit to the Philippines on October 11 to 12 to meet President Benigno S. Aquino III and other top officials as part of a swing to Southeast Asia, Gma news online report said.

President Obama is also scheduled to travel to Bali, Indonesia to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit and to Brunei for the Association of SouthEast Asian Nations summit with Aquino and other leaders from ASEAN, Japan, China, and Australia, among others. His visit will also include Malaysia.

Reports said the US shutdown of government instrumentalities which is the result of the failure to meet a deadline to pass a budget, sparked speculations that President Obama may forego his Asian trips or limit his travel time in Asia to deal with the crisis.

“We have not received any advice from the US State Department on any change in Pres. Obama’s planned visit to the Philippines,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said.

US Embassy spokesman Kurt Hoyer said: “I would direct you to the White House for questions regarding the President’s schedule.”

Philippine envoy to Washington Jose Cuisia Jr., in an interview over a radio on Tuesday, said he is not discounting the possibility that Obama may put off foreign trips until the deadlock is resolved, Gma news online said.

“Sana hindi (maapektuhan pero) hindi natin masiguro yan. Baka sabihin ng presidente, dapat narito siya sa US,” Cuisia said in an interview.

The Online news report said if the trip will push through, Obama has been expected to discuss with Aquino and other officials a planned increased rotational presence of American troops in the Philippines – the terms of which are being negotiated by both panels- Philippines and US.

Obama and Philippine officials are also expected to talk on regional and international issues such as the brewing tensions in the South China Sea, where the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, China and Taiwan are locked in a years-long territorial rivalry, Gma news online report said.

Source: Gma news Tv, Gma news online