Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday strongly cautioned her colleagues that pursuing any amendment to the 1987 Constitution can be "transformative," but may also trigger "hidden agendas and power struggles." 

“I am strongly, with all due respect, cautioning my colleagues: The ChaCha journey is treacherous, impractical, divisive and unwise. Why are we attempting to solve our economic problems by creating another problem?,” she said in a statement. 

Hontiveros criticized the need to push for a review and amendment in the Charter. 

“ChaCha can be transformative, but NOT when it is triggered by multiple hidden agendas, power struggles, and in-group bickering. Like my Senate Minority Leader, I am wondering: Ano ang mayroon at bakit biglang gumugulong at ipinipilit sa taumbayan ang Charter Change? (What is in there and why is Charter Change suddenly being forced on the people?),” she asked. 

Hontiveros said should the government only want to strengthen foreign investments in the country, encouraging more investors is a better option. 

“We need to build confidence in governance by eliminating corruption and improving our business environment, not by creating more instability through Cha-Cha,” she added. 

The opposition senator lamented that  amending the Constitution “to open more of most crucial industries, like public utilities, education and advertising, for 100 percent foreign ownership “will only expose us to security risks and weaken our national interests in a time of global unrest.”

The proposed Cha-cha's ultimate objective of stimulating and attracting more foreign investment is already addressed by present laws, she stressed.

“The major part of our nation's economy is already available for foreign participation, such as through the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, Foreign Investments Act, and Public Service Act."

Hontiveros noted that even the 40-percent foreign ownership of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines is already giving a headache, posing security risks and providing bad service to the public. 

“That is a giant red flag we should not ignore. It is very obvious that this ChaCha will not put an end to this, and other economic woes,” she said. “So I am appealing to my colleagues in the Senate, let us move for more practical solutions that don't involve creating bigger problems.”

In a separate statement, Senator Win Gatchalian said the agricultural lands and Indigenous People’s domains should not be included in any discussion about the Charter’s amendments “that allow full foreign ownership of lands in the country.”

“While we support policies that would attract foreign investments to help underpin local economic growth, we should not allow the displacement of our local farmers and our Indigenous People,” he said. 

Citing data from the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, Gatchalian reechoed the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas’ concerns about amending the Constitution “might expose an estimated 14.2 million hectares of alienable and disposable public lands to 100-percent foreign ownership.”

He said “disenfranchising farmers” from tilling agricultural lands would lead to bigger problems for the country such as worsening food insecurity. 

“The country is already a net importer of major agricultural products, including rice and other important commodities,” he noted. 

Gatchalian added that displacement of Indigenous People from their domain “would lead to housing problems and could lead to unrest in far-flung areas.”

He said Indigenous People usually play an important role in the conservation of land, backing the country’s fight against climate change and goals of building resilience to natural disasters.