US, Saudi gov’ts refuse to host GMA

From the Tribune:

The United States and Saudi Arabia governments have refused to host a proposed visit of President Arroyo.

This was disclosed yesterday by opposition stalwart former Sen. Francisco Tatad even as he said the President is now “totally isolated” and vulnerable to a coup. (See related story)

“Whether here or abroad, Mrs. Arroyo has become a pariah. She is now politically isolated. This makes her much more vulnerable to the coup, which her top Cabinet and military advisers seem to be waiting for,” Tatad added.

The former Senate majority leader and chairman of the Senate committee on foreign relations, quoting official sources, said both Saudi Arabia and the United States had turned down a proposed Arroyo visit in February.

In Washington, D.C., Tatad added, Philippine Ambassador Albert del Rosario with the help of Venable LLP, the lobby firm contacted by National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales last year to push Charter change, had tried to lobby for a one-on-one meeting between Mrs. Arroyo and President Bush or at least with US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice but were turned down.

“They were roundly rebuffed. Neither President Bush nor Secretary Rice would be available to give Mrs. Arroyo the time of day,” he said, quoting Foreign Affairs sources.

Tatad noted that this is not the first time that Bush had turned down a proposal from Mrs. Arroyo to have a one-on-one meeting with him.

“In last year’s UN Secretary Council session, presided by the Philippines by virtue of the rotation rule, Mrs. Arroyo was alleged to have exerted every effort to have such a meeting, but was turned down,” he said.

Tatad claimed that Mrs. Arroyo wanted to be out of the country and talking to Bush on the anniversary celebration of Edsa I because “she would be completely helpless, should the celebration turn into a hostile demonstration against her” which would be “joined by the police and the military, instead of being dispersed by them, the crowd could then march to Malacañang and drag her out, if she is still there.”