Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said Thursday he has no idea why former justice secretary Raul Gonzalez would say that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will run again in 2010.

"Si Secretary Gonzalez, hindi ko alam kung bakit nasabi niya iyan (I don't know why Secretary Gonzalez said that)," Remonde told ABS-CBN's morning show, "Umagang Kay Ganda," when asked for a reaction about the former justice secretary's statement.

Remonde, former Presidential Management Staff chief, said he and the President have not talked about her future political plans.

He said what Mrs. Arroyo has been talking about are her pro-poor programs and economic achievements.

"We have not talked about that issue. What we always talk about are her programs for emergency employment and the economy and other government programs," the press secretary said.

In an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News, Gonzalez said he believes that Arroyo will run for a parliamentary seat in Pampanga so she could be elected as Prime Minister in 2010 in case the current efforts to change the charter through a Senate-less constituent assembly materialize.

"I will not be surprised if the President will run as Member of Parliament," Gonzalez said.

He said threats by opposition presidential aspirants that they will support efforts to file graft and corruption raps against Arroyo after she loses her presidential immunity on June 30, 2010 are helping encourage Mrs. Arroyo's desire to stay in office.

"[I think she will run] lalo na there are so many threats against her naman. Every announced candidate said he will prosecute her. Aba'y 'di... that's a factor, of course," Gonzalez said.

Doubtful

Remonde said Mrs. Arroyo would not give in to demands from various sectors for her to ask her allies in the House of Representatives to stop pushing for Charter change.

He said Malacañang expects another negative reaction from the political opposition if Mrs. Arroyo tells her House allies to dismiss House Resolution 1109, which calls for a constituent assembly to tackle proposed amendments to the Constitution.

“Kung gagawin iyan ni Pangulo, babaligtarin na naman siya ng mga kritiko at sasabihin diktador si Arroyo (If the President does that, her critics would say she’s a dictator),” Remonde said.

‘I asked her to run’

Gonzalez admitted to having pushed President Arroyo to run for the presidency in 2004 despite having previously announced that she had "decided not to run" so she can help unite a divided nation.

"I was the one who asked her to run again," Gonzalez said. As a result, Mrs. Arroyo received a lot of flak for not keeping her promise.

Gonzalez said that this Arroyo as prime minister scenario will only happen if the 1987 Constitution is changed, and the form of government becomes parliamentary.

He said this is why he is supporting House Resolution 1109 calling on Congress to convene as a constituent assembly in order to amend the 1987 Constitution even without the Senate.

Gonzalez said the Constitution is vague on whether a constituent assembly without the Senate is allowed.

Thus, he said it is necessary for the Supreme Court to settle this ambiguity as soon as possible.

Gonzalez said prospects for a successful charter change via a constituent assembly are declining the longer the process takes. With a report from Julius Babao, ABS-CBN News