By Jeff Marchesseault

GUAM - Her visit to Guam will simply have to wait. Perhaps till November for a planned military buildup summit.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cut short her four-city U.S. tour (DC, NY, Chicago, GU) on news of  the death of former Philippine President Corazon Aquino over the weekend.

Having called for ten days of national mourning and declaring August 5th a nonworking Philippine holiday, President Arroyo will miss prescheduled trips to Chicago and Guam and return home early to attend memorial services.

BusinessWorld Online quoted Arroyo's announcement to her nation in its hour of bereavement on Saturday:

"Today, the Philippines lost a national treasure. Cory Aquino helped lead a revolution that restored democracy and the rule of law to our nation at a time of great peril," said Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo in a message televised from Washington, D.C., where she met with United States President Barack Obama.

"I am announcing today that we will officially observe [a] 10-day period of national mourning. Our hearts go out to the family in this hour of grief and sorrow. The nation prays for Cory and her family."

Arroyo had been slated to meet with Guam officials and the local Filipino community over the course of about eight hours during a stopover on the island on the way back to Manila. August 5th is the day of Aquino's internment and the day that Arroyo had previously planned to visit Guam.

Meanwhile, Guam officials are anticipating that there'll be room in Arroyo's schedule for a visit to Guam this November. That is the month that Senator Judi Guthertz is planning to hold a military buildup conference on island. Last month Guthertz announced plans to invite both President Obama and President Arroyo, among others, to the summit.

The Business Mirror reports that Arroyo was scheduled to depart New York for refueling in San Francisco today. From there she will fly directly to Manila for an early-morning Wednesday arrival.

Read the Business Mirror story, "GMA: August 5 nonworking holiday", August 2, 2009.

Read the BusinessWorld Online story, "A nation mourns", August 3, 2009.

Read the Guam News Factor story, "Guthertz Invites President Arroyo To Guam", July 17, 2009.

Read the Guam News Factor story, "Senator Guthertz Invites President Obama To Guam", July 6, 2009.

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