MANILA - House Speaker Prospero Nograles on Monday stood by Charter change (Cha-cha) in his speech opening the third and last regular session of the 14th Congress .

“Adopting House Resolution 1109 calling for the convening of a constituent assembly proves our resolve to bring the question of constitutional change into the heart of public debate and judicial determination,” he said.

According to HR 1109, joint voting is the proper mode to convene a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution. As opposed to separate voting, joint voting will allow the 265-member House of Representatives to bypass the 23-member Senate.

The opposition fears that Charter change is a ploy to keep President Arroyo in power beyond 2010. She is expected to take up the issue  in her State of the Nation Address on Monday afternoon.

Nograles is not abandoning the other Charter change resolution pending in the House, HR 737, which seeks to open up the economy even more to foreign enterprises.

“I continue to emphasize the necessity of liberalizing the economic provision of the Constitution, particularly those on the foreign ownership of land. We need to put our country back on the map of foreign investors,” he said.

Despite massive protests against Charter change, Nograles said he wants to see a “debate and non-partisan dialogue.”

“I am confident that, in the end, the people's will shall prevail as to what changes, as well as how and when changes shall be made in our fundamental law,” he said.