Holy Mackerel! Philippine President Gloria M. Arroyo will most likely receive the worst insult ever accorded by an American President to a visiting head of state. Mrs. Arroyo accepted what was billed as a State Visit, which later was downgraded to an Official Visit. Now perhaps, the Office of the Philippine President will announce it to be a “Private Visit” to the White House on Thursday, July 30th. Or perhaps an “escorted tour” complete with photo ops with White House tourist guides? Will President Barack H. Obama turn the White House into a burger stand, similar to the In-n-Out fast-food joints? Will Mrs. Arroyo and her entourage of some 150 Filipino congress people, generals, Cabinet members and functionaries come in fast to the White House and go out that fast also? In and then out?

Peter Nicholas of the Los Angeles Times has probably confirmed reports that have been circulating among Filipino Americans in the District of Columbia that President Obama would give Mrs. Arroyo the “in-n-out” treatment. And maybe there will not even be time for a burger, soda and fries. The Los Angeles Times published in its Front Page today Mr. Nicholas’ article, Gates arrest a delicate matter to hash out over beer 

The Nicholas-written story’s URL: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-gates28-2009jul28,0,5578765.story 

Mr. Nicholas reported that “White House aides are downplaying expectations that the beer summit that Obama suggested last week will produce a resolution. It's set for Thursday, an administration official confirmed Monday night. Both Sgt. James Crowley of the Cambridge, Mass., Police Department and Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. have agreed to come. That means Obama is on the hook to achieve some kind of agreement.

“Bilateral get-togethers between Obama and a host of foreign leaders in recent months have gotten less attention. The image of the president trying to use a beer-drinking session to mediate an ages-old, highly volatile dispute has given new definition to diplomatic mission.”

Thursday is July 30, 2009, when Mrs. Arroyo and her huge entourage are supposed to be visiting the White House. If President Obama will have the “Beer Summit” with Professor Gates and Sergeant Crowley, then Mr. Nicholas just confirmed unwittingly that there will be no official State dinner for Gloria Arroyo. Perhaps, a reception can be arranged at the nearest In-n-Out restaurant by the Philippine Embassy?

Perhaps the Advance Team of the Office of the Philippine President now camped at the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC, can issue some clarification. If Mrs. Arroyo is invited to the “Beer Summit,” Filipino Americans will drink to that. But if she is not, then perhaps she should feign illness and “postpone” her July 30th visit to the White House. Perhaps, she can just claim that she is that sick (and tired of being ignored repeatedly by President Obama).

If President Arroyo has an ounce of self-respect left in her, perhaps she should really “postpone” or cancel her visit to the White House. The President of the Philippines is more important than a host of Harvard professors and a squad or more of police officers combined, especially since there are now more-than four-million American citizens of Filipino descent, Filipino immigrants and Filipino contract workers in the United States. # # #

* Editor’s Notes: To the Filipinos in the homeland who are not familiar with the In-n-Out burgers, here is its website: www.in-n-out.com. And here are some other articles that this website and the www.revotelution.com published about the July 30, 2009, supposed “Summit” between Presidents Obama and Arroyo:

Sen. Pimentel Asks PGMA to Include Plight of Filipino War Casualties in Obama Summit 

Pooled Editorial: This Publication Joins the Washington Times in Questioning the Wisdom of President Obama’s Welcoming Gloria Arroyo to the White House 

An Open Letter to President Obama About the Coming Visit to the White House of Gloria Arroyo 

Resurrection: Is Gloria Arroyo the Filipino Lazarus? 

It's Confirmed – Gloria Arroyo, the Kleptocrat, Is Coming to Washington, DC! 

Why the L.A. Times’ Article Must Move Filipino Americans to Confront Gloria Arroyo in her Coming Visit with President Obama