BY REGINA BENGCO

MALACAÑANG yesterday said President Arroyo did not feel slighted by US president-elect Barack Obama’s returning the calls of nine world leaders who congratulated him, but not her call.

Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said returning a call is "personal" on the part of Obama.

"Hindi na dapat natin muna tutukan iyun dahil iyung pagtatawag kasi personal. Di natin alam kung merong tawag ba o wala sa atin. I have no information at all so I cannot comment on it one way or the other," Dureza said in a briefing.

Reports said Obama returned the calls of nine presidents and prime ministers Thursday, accepting their congratulations and discussing with them ways to deal with the global financial crisis.

Wire reports quoted Obama spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter identifying the nine world leaders as Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Arroyo called up to congratulate Obama Wednesday but he was not available.

Dureza said there is "no scheduled meeting or intention of meeting" Obama on Arroyo’s part when she attends the United Nations assembly on interfaith dialogues in New York on November 12-13 but the prospect is "desirable."

The President leaves Manila Monday night.

Dureza said Arroyo will participate in the interfaith dialogue that has been championed by Saudi Arabia and Spain.

"Interfaith dialogue is something that the Philippines had been pursuing and doing right there on the ground especially in Mindanao even before it became an international item of interest," he said.