SENATE Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel 3rd questioned the timing of Charter change (Cha-cha) and the inclusion of foreign ownership of land in the move to amend the 1987 Constitution.

The senator, in a television interview on Monday, rejected what he called a “rider provision” in the so-called economic Cha-cha that will allow foreigners to own land in the Philippines.

“Although they call it economic provisions, there is one rider that is not necessarily connected to economic provisions,” he said in a television interview. “They want to open up land ownership to foreigners. Why is it there?”

The former Senate president said that the rider provision “will only add to controversy and resistance from the public.”

“I think this will result in more opposition to the call for the Cha-cha right now. Why was land ownership inserted?” Pimentel said.

He cited Section 7 of Article 12 of the Constitution which states that “[s]ave in cases of hereditary succession, no private lands shall be transferred or conveyed except to individuals, corporations, or associations qualified to acquire or hold lands of the public domain.”

Pimentel warned that Chacha will get rid of this constitutional provision.

The chairman of the other faction of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan said his party has long been advocating for Cha-cha to change the system of governance from presidential to federalism.

However, he said that the time is not yet ripe for the Philippines to shift to federalism.

“Life is hard. We have domestic problems. The world has gotten so complicated, not only in trading but also in the politics of the world, especially these geopolitical issues,” he said. “Cha-cha will really eat up our time. This will refocus our attention from more pressing issues.”

He said that Cha-cha proponents should not blame the Constitution for the rising poverty and decline in foreign direct investments.

“The poverty that we see all around us was not caused by the Constitution. This has been caused by unfair policies,” Pimentel said.

The inefficiency in the justice system and the high cost of energy are keeping foreign investors away, the senator added.