Before former President Corazon Aquino succumbed to cancer, the big story was President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s long-desired meeting with US President Barack Obama. That political triumph was also a diplomatic one, for as Ms Arroyo herself and her various spokesmen have taken turns pointing out, she was the first leader from Southeast Asia to call on Obama. But the distinction did not come originally from Malacañang, it came from the White House. In other words, Malacañang went out of its way to emphasize its diplomatic coup, by using the Obama administration’s own talking points.

We do not know whether President Arroyo considers the meeting (by all accounts a truly cordial one) to be the capstone of her diplomatic record. We supported her decision to remove Filipino troops out of harm’s way in Iraq, in 2004, earlier than scheduled; her continuing expression of support, despite criticism at home for alleged hypocrisy, for the cause of human rights in Burma (Myanmar), and her continuing concern for the detained Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s true leader; and indeed the Philippine government’s resolute commitment to help forge a new climate change framework before the end of the year. But if she deemed the one-on-one with Obama, the new political superstar by virtue of his stunning and historic victory last November, as her crowning achievement, then she must have been disappointed, perhaps even dismayed, when Cory Aquino died on Aug. 1. The icon of democracy has dominated the news since then, and President Arroyo, fresh from her conquest of the White House, was reduced to the role of a minor contrabida: Will she show up at the wake? And how will the people, and the Aquino family, receive her if she shows up?

To be fair, the President did the right thing in going straight to the Manila Cathedral, from the airport, to pay respects to her departed predecessor. If she had not, she would have been damned. We also believe she did the right thing in leaving the wake only seven or so minutes after arriving—because she realized that the public viewing had been put on hold, in deference to her. She could have stayed the entire half-hour she was reported to have scheduled for the wake, but the first report of the lengthening line growing even longer because of her presence would have damned her as well.

But the circumstances have certainly changed. Now she cannot elaborate on the achievement she thinks the White House tête-à-tête represents for her brand of leadership, not when the entire country is still suffering from Cory-withdrawal symptoms. Now she cannot expand on the honor of being the first leader from Southeast Asia to meet privately with Obama (something perhaps only our good neighbor Indonesia, where Obama spent some of his growing-up years, would have wanted for itself), not when reminders are still fresh that the late Cory Aquino was an icon of democracy, not only for the Philippines or for Southeast Asia, but for the entire world. (It would have been an honor for Obama to meet Ms Aquino, in the exact same way it would be an honor for him to meet Nelson Mandela or, indeed, Aung San Suu Kyi.)

Ever the astute tactician, President Arroyo may be tempted to let the initial, cozy images from her meeting with Obama stand in for the substance of that meeting, now that nobody is talking about the White House visit. She could sell the idea that the meeting amounted to a political benediction, not only of her achievements in office, but of her desire to stay in office.

We must disabuse her of that idea. Last week, US Ambassador Kristie Kenney gave us a clearer picture of what transpired during the White House meeting. She was quoted as saying, Obama told Ms Arroyo his view that next year’s elections would “solidify the democratic process.” That crucial part of the conversation which was not included in the official transcript was corroborated by our own ambassador to the United States, Willy Gaa, the official note-taker, who said Obama expressed satisfaction “with the election process going on in the Philippines, which would solidify the democratic process.”

Would Obama support a bid to delay or circumvent the 2010 presidential election? The answer is right there, in the meeting’s official notes.