BACOLOD CITY, Philippines -- Malacañang will not make any attempt to stop protests against a planned constituent assembly to amend the Constitution even as it continues to insist it had nothing to do with the passage of House Resolution 1109 calling for that particular mode of altering the basic law of the land.

Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez said the administration will not stop the nationwide rallies scheduled on June 10, saying "protest activities are free expressions protected by the Constitution and therefore respected by the government."

Golez also insisted that the move to change the Constitution through a constituent assembly approved by the House of Representatives under Resolution 1109 was entirely an act of the House.

"We leave this matter to the independent co-equal branch of our government. At the end of the day the people will still decide on its fate," Golez said here Saturday.

Anti-con-ass groups have accused President Macapagal-Arroyo of being behind the move to amend the Constitution to keep her in power beyond 2010.

"The Palace does not have a hand in the recent move by Congress. Although we can't deny that part of PGMA's platform supports political and economic reforms through Charter change, the manner and the time as to how to go about it remains unknown because it is dependent on the decision of Congress," he added.

He said Malacañang's assurance that there will be elections in 2010 was clear.

"The administration and Comelec are geared up for it," Golez added.

Negros Occidental Governor Isidro Zayco, who favors amending the Constitution through an elected Constitutional Convention, said the people have doubts about change through con-ass because of the haste with which it is being done.

But he noted that the proponents of House Resolution 1109 have pledged that the moves to amend the Constitution now would not include extension of terms of office of the incumbent officials whose terms are to expire in 2010.

Negros Oriental Third District Representative Henry Pride Teves, the only signatory to the controversial resolution from Negros Oriental, said he voted for it because he saw a need to amend the Constitution.

He also denied that the House was railroading Charter change.

"Ultimately, the people will still vote for whatever changes are made," he said.

Teves also denied the administration had dangled P20 million for every vote for HR 1109.

"There is no additional P20 million," Teves clarified. "Two weeks before we voted, we were asked to already submit our list of P20 million hard and soft projects which is part of our P70 million Priority Development Assistance Fund, which every congressman is entitled to every year."