MANILA, Philippines—Former President Fidel Ramos Tuesday cautioned lawmakers against pursuing Charter change (Cha-cha), saying such a move was not only untimely but suspicious as well.

“It’s too late now... They should wait after the [2010] elections,” Ramos said in a press conference in Makati City.

He also said that whatever the reason for amending the Constitution, the move would “always be suspected as a ploy to get into other things that will conceivably, far-fetched as it may seem, extend the term of President (Gloria) Macapagal-Arroyo.”

But Ramos said the Constitution needed to be amended to adapt to changes in society.

“It is a living instrument of governance. It is not carved in stone,” he said.

At the height of the “Hello Garci” election fraud scandal in 2005, Ramos, the president emeritus of the ruling Lakas party, also proposed Charter change through the House and the Senate convened into a constituent assembly.

Ms Arroyo accepted the proposal. But her allies junked it months later, as her hold on the government stabilized.

“It’s not timely anymore,” Ramos said Tuesday.

He described his role in the Arroyo administration as like that of a “spare tire” that came in handy when a vehicle got stalled by a flat tire.

No trigger

Ramos, however, said he did not see another “people power” revolution occurring to stop Ms Arroyo’s allies from amending the Constitution.

“No matter how badly we feel ... the trigger is not yet there,” he said.

According to Ramos, outrage alone is not enough to create a critical mass. “You need a trigger to spark a big blast,” he said.

Ramos also said he had informed Lakas members in the House of his position on Charter change through his regular reports sent to legislators and other policymakers.