MANILA, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine government will understand if U.S. President Barack Obama would change his plan and do no come to Manila this month after the U.S. government's shutdown over the American legislators' failure to pass a new budget on time, a senior government official said Tuesday.
In a news briefing, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said however that there was no advice yet from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that Obama would cancel his visit here on October 11-12.
"No notice yet but we don't know in the coming days. Surely the DFA will update us should any notice be given," she said.
But in case that the trip would not push through, Valte said, " of course, we extend the necessary understanding should there be exigent circumstances.'
The U.S. government shutdown was its first in 17 years. The last time was in 1996 during budget standoff between the administration of former president Bill Clinton and a Republican- controlled Congress.
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