The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) joined a protest this morning at the House of Representatives to oppose the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments’ hearing on Resolution of Both Houses No. 2 that will tackle proposed revisions to the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution. The said measure, also dubbed as ‘economic ChaCha’ was filed by House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco. “The economic and political repercussions of Charter Change will be irreversible. Filipinos must fight ChaCha attempts to the end,” says KMP leader Danilo Ramos.

“The revived Charter change proposals will only make worse the current Constitution and will aggravate the situation of Filipinos now reeling from the effects and heavy burden of the pandemic and economic recession. ChaCha will also further bastardize the existing system of governance dominated by landlords and oligarchs,” Ramos said.

The KMP leader said that ChaCha will remove all the remaining protectionist provisions of the 1987 Constitution and will further open the local economy to the plundering of landgrabbers and large foreign corporations. “It is like handing the entire Philippines on a silver platter for foreign businesses to devour. We cannot allow foreign businesses to take over our land, natural resources, media, and strategic industries. We cannot be second-class citizens in our own country. With ChaCha, everything else will worsen for Filipinos.”

The farmers’ group asserts that the 100-percent foreign ownership of land will worsen landlessness, poverty, and hunger among the majority of the population. “The likes of Del Monte, DoleFil, Sumifru, other large plantations, as well as foreign mining companies will further flourish and expand at the expense of farmers and indigenous peoples.”

“Chacha will rob Filipinos and our future generations. Global companies will take away everything that we have now and all that we continue to fight for. We will lose our national patrimony, sovereignty, and identity,” Ramos said.

“All democracy and freedom-loving Filipinos must resist Charter Change and Duterte’s tyranny,” the peasant leader said. ###