MANILA, Philippines -- Chief Justice Reynato Puno said he would be content to be the catalyst for the creation of a "moral force" movement to help solve the country's problems rather than seek the presidency in next year’s elections.

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Thursday offered to give up his presidential ambitions if Puno will "decide to rise up to the challenge."

"I don't want to be pretentious. I will be happy if I will just be a catalyst of this movement. I am willing to be one of the foot soldiers. But perhaps it may not be appropriate to take leadership while I am in the government acting as Chief Justice," Puno said.

But he thanked Lacson for his endorsement.

Puno will retire at the mandatory age of 70 in 2010.

He jokingly said he would have to consult his “advisers” -- his young grandchildren on the calls for him to run for president..

"I have to consult my advisers on how to respond to this call, my council of advisers composed of my grandchildren aged 7, 5, and 4. They will decide on this issue and they are my moral force," Puno said smiling.

But Puno said that politics is not in his mind.

"I keep politics out of the judiciary. We simply do our duty as the Constitution mandates, over and above any political interest," he said.

Puno said he is more interested on the creation of a moral force to answer the country's problems.

"All we have to do is rally our moral leaders so that they can form a broad coalition…to act as moral watchdogs of our country. They are our moral stewards, they will always remind us that every moral decision has its cost," he said.

The coalition, Puno explained, "will translate all standards of morality, all our ethical principles, into definitive actions."

Puno is reportedly facing an impeachment attempt for allegedly sitting on a case involving the citizenship of a congresswoman.

The chief justice thanked everyone who supported him, which he called not just a "personal support but as a support for the entire judiciary. The judiciary has only one capital and that is the moral capital, the trust and confidence of the people."