WASHINGTON D.C. - A former US ambassador to the Philippines said elections in the Philippines have to proceed next year for democracy to develop, warning that changing the Constitution to extend term limits could complicate relations with the United States.

John Negroponte was ambassador to the Philippines in 1993 and was the first Director of National Intelligence, overseeing America's formidable intelligence apparatus.

He said next year's national elections will be the "next important stage in the evolution of Philippine democracy".

"The Philippines has been a democracy for a very long time. It's a question of perfecting democracy, not a question of any serious deficit. It's important that this next election takes place a year from now so I think everyone is very attentive to that," he said.

Negroponte also served as ambassador to Honduras (he was also America's top envoy to Iraq in 2004, Mexico, and the United Nations), which is facing a crisis over the ouster of incumbent President Manuel Zelaya.

Zelaya was accused of plotting to amend his country's laws to prolong his hold on power. He was forced out in a military-backed, Congress-led coup.

He said amending a constitution was serious enough and doesn't need to be complicated by personal or political agendas.

While stressing he's retired from government and no longer speaks for the US government, Negroponte said his own experience showed such acts carried a steep price.

"Changing a constitution is a very serious matter and can also be distracting. It can absorb a lot of political energy that might be better used for other pursuits,” he said.

"When one talks about constitutional changes, it is a very serious matter and one wants to weigh carefully the costs," he explained.

Last Wednesday, addressing a largely partisan crowd of Filipino-Americans, many of whom traced their roots to the President's home province of Pampanga, Mrs. Arroyo hit at critics who say she was plotting to extend her term beyond May 2010.

But Negroponte stressed that ultimately, it all boils down to what Filipinos want or willing to accept.

"From our overall perspective we believe that whatever is decided in a democratic fashion, who are we to complain?" he said.

"My view, based on my experience in nine or ten different countries, I noticed that when governments or leaders contemplate this kind of changes, they bring with them considerable complications and certainly the more straightforward approach is to proceed with the existing institutional arrangements," he said.

Diminished threat

Negroponte indicated that the terror threat is diminished in Mindanao, but that US troops are staying because the Philippines wants them there.

"We do not carry out any military activity in the Philippines that does not have the complete agreement of the Philippine government."

"We want to have the kind of military cooperation with the government and the Armed Forces of the Philippines that they're comfortable with," he said.

"My impression was that (Mindanao) was more of a victim than a base area. The threats were coming from outside. Indonesia and the Philippines were the two places we were concerned about the al-Qaeda threat," the former US intelligence czar revealed.

"But once some of the key leaders of the Abu Sayyaf were put out of commission, the threat subsided substantially.

"I believe at the moment the threat in Mindanao is within the capacity of the Philippine armed forces in cooperation with friendly countries can handle by itself," he said.

He added the decision to resume peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is critical to containing the al-Qaeda threat in the region.

"It's important to keep the negotiating track but at the same time keep a military presence out there," he averred.

Chinese threat

Negroponte was US ambassador to Manila when the Mischief Reef issue flared up between the Philippines and China in 1993.

Philippine Air Force surveillance photos showed the Chinese were able to build permanent structures on the reef - just 130 miles from the Palawan coast - when the Philippine Navy stopped patrolling the area because of the monsoon.

Mischief Reef is part of the disputed Spratly Islands, where the Philippines has its own garrison on Pag-Asa Island, the largest land mass in that part of the South China Sea.

"I think we do best if we engage China constructively. That has been the policy of successive administrations. You always keep a watchful eye, of course, and the South China Sea is, admittedly, a major problem," he said.

But he said he is convinced China does not have aggressive intentions towards Southeast Asian countries.

There are fears China, however, that in flexing its economic, political and military muscles, they are drawing Southeast Asian countries closer to its sphere of influence.

The Philippines is vulnerable, in large part, because it does not have a credible military defense capability.

"In time I think it's prudent policy for the Philippines and others not to keep all their eggs in one basket, and to continue having good relations with countries like the United States which can be an important friend in need, when they need it," Negroponte said.