MANILA, Philippines?The moves to amend the Constitution will gain momentum under the next administration with the country?s next president expected to play a transition role.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno made the assertion in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

?What is clear right now is that after next year?s elections, there will be strong pressure for Charter change (Cha-cha),? he said.

Puno is eyeing a vice presidential run under the administration party next year.

He said that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Joseph Estrada had all been advocates for amending the Constitution and would likely step up their advocacies in the next administration.

?When GMA (Ms Arroyo?s initials) took over, FVR (Ramos) gave conditions that she should shift to a parliamentary system and it is part of their disagreement that this did not push through. Erap (Estrada) wants a presidential system but he also wants to have economic changes in the Constitution,? said Puno, noting that Cha-cha was one of the President Arroyo?s campaign issues in 2004.

The President gave her tacit approval to rush the approval of House Resolution 1109 during the first Lakas-Kampi-CMD meeting with the aim of prompting the Supreme Court to decide whether a constituent assembly (Con-ass) for Cha-cha could be formed with Congress voting jointly or separately. The House claimed that it could hold a Con-ass independently of the Senate but the upper chamber countered that it should have a say in the process.

Everybody wants Cha-cha

?Everybody wants Cha-cha but not right away and if that is what will happen, then it means after the next elections there may be a change in government, there will be a transition, there will be an escape valve where the same people will be continuing with their functions different from what they were elected for,? said Puno.

Puno, however, would not speculate on how rumors of the President?s run for a congressional seat in her hometown in Pampanga would tie in with the Cha-cha push in the next administration.

?In my view, there is no point in her running. I did not see that coming, she never mentioned it in any of our meetings. It?s a little odd, but who knows? Stranger things have happened in politics,? he said.

But militant lawmakers are urging the President to be more candid about her political plans in 2010.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo said that instead of convening a Con-ass during the State of the Nation Address on July 27, ?the President must make categorical answers to all the questions pertaining to her stay in power that would lay to rest all speculations.?

?She owes it to the people to be upfront,? said Ocampo.

Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño said the President must also declare in unequivocal terms that Charter change would not be pursued before 2010 and that she would not run for a congressional seat.

?This will allow the nation to move on and prepare for a regime change in 2010,? said Casiño.