MANILA, Philippines ? President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will not attend Tuesday's campaign kickoff activity of her anointed one, former defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro, an official of the Lakas-Kampi party said.

Ray Roquero, Lakas-Kampi deputy secretary general, said Arroyo had other commitments to attend to during the day.

"Anyway, this is just the first event, there will be more where the President can show up," he said in a phone interview.

Teodoro, his runningmate Edu Manzano and six senatorial candidates will hold a rally at the Ynares Gym in Antipolo City at 4 p.m. as their opening salvo for the first day of the official campaign for national candidates.

Teodoro's senatorial slate is composed of Silvestre Bello, Raul Lambino, Rey Langit, Ramon Guico, Ramon Revilla Jr., and Lito Lapid.

According to her official schedule, Arroyo will attend the expanded preschool coverage in Calamba City at 10 a.m., and then will lead a motorcade along SLEX to the C5 road extension that will connect it to Valenzuela and NLEX at 11:45 a.m. before presiding over a Cabinet meeting in Novaliches, Quezon City at 2 p.m.

Meanwhile, three Lakas-Kampi senatorial candidates began the campaign period with a news conference in Quezon City to present their platform.

Teodoro and his team will meet in their Lakas-Kampi headquarters in Pasig City at 1 p.m. before leading a motorcade to the Ynares Gym.