Malacañang on Friday clarified that President Arroyo was not snubbed by US President Barack Obama during the National Prayer Breakfast meeting held Thursday in Washington D.C..

The US President was the guest speaker at the breakfast meeting held at the Hilton Hotel.

"Yung pagpunta naman talaga niya sa America is not to meet with Obama but to accept the prayer meeting and to meet with congressional leaders because of pending bills in the US Congress affecting the Philippines,” said Press Secretary Cerge Remonde.

He said the President accepted the invitation of the Congressional Committee on the National Prayer Breakfast of the US Congress, which is why she took a sidetrip to Washington D.C. after attending the economic summit in Davos, Switzerland and from her trip to Bahrain.

“Hindi naman natin masabi na nafu-frustrate ang ating pangulo na di niya na meet si Obama because that’s not really the agenda,” Remonde clarified.

Malacañang said Mrs. Arroyo did not meet Obama or even shake his hand because the US President was in a hurry. The Palace added that Mrs. Arroyo’s agenda was to meet with members of the US Congress.

The President discussed with several US senators the pending Veterans Equity Bill for Filipino war veterans.

When asked what Malacañang felt on the tag that it was "desperately seeking Obama," Remonde said, "We don’t agree with that assumption. So we won’t justify it." --  Nadia Trinidad, ABS-CBN News