MANILA, Philippines - She may have left town but former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is not avoiding President Benigno Aquino's first State of the Nation Address (SONA), a former Arroyo Cabinet member said Monday.

Former Presidential Management Staff (PMS) chief Elena Bautista-Horn said Arroyo left the country on Sunday with her husband, lawyer Mike Arroyo, for the latter's medical check-up. She said Arroyo's check-up could no longer be postponed because his doctors were only available on Monday.

"You know she’s a very hands-on president and now congresswoman. She really wants to be here. In fact, we will be monitoring the whole day and we will let her know what's happening. But Attorney Arroyo had a check-up on Thursday and he was advised by his doctors that he needs to take care of his heart. Every day matters...It was really up to the availability of the doctors in Hong Kong," Bautista-Horn said in an ABS-CBN "Umagang Kay Ganda" interview.

She said Arroyo is very interested in the turn of events on Monday, particularly the voting for new Speaker of the House of Representatives. Arroyo was elected congresswoman of Pampanga's 2nd District and was supposed to be at the Batasan Pambansa complex to hear Aquino's SONA on Monday.

Asked if Arroyo's leaving was a deliberate snub of Aquino, she said: "Sa tingin ko naman po [hindi sadya]. Magtatawagan naman kami buong araw. She will still be monitoring."

She added, however, that the strained relationship between Arroyo and her successor is no secret. "Hindi po kami bumabatikos. Kami ang binabatikos."

Aquino said on Friday that part of his SONA will focus on how the Arroyo administration had depleted the 2010 national budget and mismanaged the calamity fund for the year.