MANILA, Philippines?Count on Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. to amend the Constitution if he becomes the next president.

?First and foremost, we should really have political reforms... there must be a review of the Constitution, that?s the number one priority in my platform,? Teodoro said a day after he took the initial step in a presidential bid by making his intentions public.

Next on his list, he said, was to carry on with the fiscal measures being implemented by the Arroyo administration to sustain the basic services provided to every Filipino and improve infrastructure programs.

Teodoro told reporters he also planned to pursue the implementation of the ?hard and soft? approach to peace and security, which he described as crucial to the country?s development.

?It will have a detrimental effect to the country if the methods of addressing security problems are always changing,? he said without elaborating further on his top three concerns if elected president in 2010.

Challenges ahead

Teodoro gave a glimpse of his vision as Chief Executive when he addressed the Philippine Military Academy last month, outlining the challenges the country was facing and their possible solutions.

He spoke of crafting a plan not merely based on an ?inward looking strategy? but based on a ?strategic vision of the Philippines being a stable platform of domestic and foreign investment with strong accountable institutions.?

He also said that public investment in defense and police must be increased, not only in equipment but also manpower.

?The finely balanced combination of both soft and hard power being utilized today is the only means by which we can afford to have peace at the least cost in suffering, in resources and in lost opportunities to our people,? he said.

The defense chief on Tuesday expressed his hope of being President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo?s successor but said he would wait for her endorsement and that of the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats coalition.

Unfazed by Arroyo scandals

Teodoro was unfazed by his association with Ms Arroyo, who has been linked to various scandals, including the unresolved ?Hello Garci? controversy, the aborted NBN-ZTE deal, the fertilizer scam.

He stressed that as a Cabinet member, he had done a good job so far.

?I have a good performance and the President tells me nothing else but to do the right thing so why should I be ashamed of that?? Teodoro pointed out, reacting to critics who said that association with Ms Arroyo was a ?kiss of death.?

?If I run independently without the machinery and without the commitments, that?s a ?La Mancha? type of scenario,? he said in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, referring to the novel about Don Quixote, whose dreams were out of touch with reality.

He said he was confident he would be endorsed by the President and her political party.

Bayani Fernando, chair of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, is also openly seeking Ms Arroyo?s endorsement.

Teodoro will be the third defense secretary to make a bid for the presidency. Ramon Magsaysay and Fidel Ramos rose to the top after successes in the defense department.

Teodoro?s wife, Nikki, a former commercial model who also comes from a wealthy family, won his congressional seat after Ms Arroyo appointed him to the defense post in 2007.