MANILA — The issue of Charter change (Cha-cha) should always be on the interest of the Filipino people, but this move should also have its limitations, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said Wednesday.

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“Ngayong 2024 is maybe the good time, so those running in 2025, pwedeng i-demand ng mga botante yan. Ano naman ang stand mo sa Charter change. Saan ka? Sa business changes ka o sa governmental changes ka?” Pimentel said.

Pimentel, who is openly supporting Charter change through federalism, made this statement in reaction to the House Speaker Martin Romualdez's move to “revisit the whole issue of the Constitution.”

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Sought for reaction, Pimentel said: "Ang Cha-cha, parati namang dapat pag-usapan yang 1987 Constitution. Lalo na kung proper motivations tayo.”

Cha-cha, he said, is to improve the system of governance in the country.

“Ako, as the party man of PDP-Laban, eh we advocate for federalism. So, pag sinabing review the Constitution, open ako dyan, but federalism. Huwag yung ibang agenda,” he stressed.

What he meant by “other agenda” was opening the land ownership and economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, the senator said.

It also includes the motivation to touch the political provisions that would lift the term limits of politicians, he stressed.

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“Pati yung natural resources i-allow natin ang exploitation nito by foreigners. Yan talagang dapat harangan yan... Political din ang federalism at sa aking palagay ito ang malalim dahil structure ang pinagu-usapan,” Pimentel said

“Huwag galawin ang term limits, kasi hayaan yung term limits because we are forcing new blood sa politika. Maganda yung idea na yun. Huwag nating alisin, it’s the relationship between the national and the local,” the senator added.

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Pimentel also stressed that voting for Cha-cha should be done separately.

He is for Constitutional convention, the senator said.

But those who are keen in amending the Constitution “have a lot of convincing to do in the Senate,” Pimentel also said.

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“Cold pa rin (ang Cha-cha interest) dito (sa Senate),” Pimentel said.

Pimentel meantime ruled as unconstitutional any move that would limit the Cha-cha among congressmen alone.

“Hindi pwede. Pati kaming mga pabor sa changing the Constitution sa Senado na kokonti na nga lang kami, we’ll still be against sa kilos ng House na sila lang,” he said.

For Sen. Chiz Escudero, meantime, those who are pushing the Cha-cha again should clarify what specific procedure will they use or follow in amending the Constitution.

“No position for or against can be made without these specifics (and not mere ambiguous and general intent or statements) as a starting point for any discussion to amend the Constitution… at least insofar as I am concerned,” Escudero in a text statement said.

“There is no perfect or imperfect time to review the Constitution but, as I said, they should be clear and unequivocal in regard to my two queries,” he added.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva wondered if "this [is] really the right time to discuss" Charter change, citing the recovery of the economy as well as other laws passed to address economic issues.

"Numbers will show that our economy is on its way to recovery. We have recently passed the Public Private Partnership Act which we authored in the Senate. We also passed laws such as the Retail Trade Liberalization Law, the Foreign Investments Act, and the Public Service Act. We need to see the full impact of these laws first before we talk about Charter Change," Villanueva said.

"Second, will it undergo the right process? We need to know these details before we engage in any debate on Cha-cha," he added.

Villanueva said these questions "will need to be answered before the Senate will be convinced to discuss these matters."

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