President Gloria Arroyo and opposition Senator Panfilo Lacson, the presidential candidates of the ruling Lakas party and the opposition respectively, avoided each other as they attended an alumni homecoming at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in Baguio City, in northern Luzon.

"They had a chance to greet each other on stage, but they tried to talk to other guests when they were about to bump into each other," said an observer.

Earlier, Lacson said that Arroyo would be his "Valendine's date" in Baguio when asked by reporters how they would greet each other in Baguio.

"Jose Pidal would not be happy (about this date)," said Lacson.

He referred to the alleged alias used by Arroyo's husband Jose Miguel for laundering an estimated $200 million ($3.636 million) of an excess campaign fund which was given to her when she ran as vice president in 1998.

Arroyo said the Joe Pidal account belonged to his brother, adding it was in existence before the passage of a bill that called for reform in Philippine banks.

Lacson and Arroyo's husband also avoided seeing each other during the event at PMA, a place that has been attracting politicians, specially presidential candidates.

PMA's class '78 had adopted Arroyo and her husband as fellow PMAer. PMA's class 91 had adopted their daughter Lulli as fellow PMA-er. Arroyo was a guest of honour but Defence Secretary Eduardo Ermita, a PMA graduate, delivered the keynote speech.

"Instead of the cool mountain breeze and pine scent of Baguio, politics was in the air with the presence of politicians in this event," said an alumnus, who requested for anonymity. Members of PMA's class '95 were also around. Many of the rebel soldiers who took over a posh hotel in Makati on July 27 last year, belonged to this class.

The last time Lacson attended the PMA alumni homecoming was during the term of ousted President Joseph Estrada, when he was still chief of the Philippine National Police.

PMA officials reminded everyone to follow the Commission on Elections' campaign rules. Navy Lieutenant Bonifacio Agas, acting information officer of the PMA, prevented the display of political posters and streamers.

The PMA upheld the campaign of the Baguio Regreening Movement, which prevented the nailing of political ads and other campaign materials on trees.

Senator Gregorio Honasan, of PMA's class '71 was not around because he was in the campaign trail of actor Fernando Poe Jr., the standard-bearer of the opposition's other camp.

Lacson is the other presidential candidate of the opposition.

The PMA has not yet adopted Poe; Raul Roco; the standard-bearer of the Alliance of the Hopeful; Brother Eddie Villanueva, a non Catholic church leader; and Eddie Gil, a banker.