Pirma told to submit ‘donations list’ for P55 million ‘Edsa-pwera’ ad

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Imee Marcos on Friday issued a stern warning to the People’s Initiative for Reform Modernization and Action (Pirma) urging them to submit a list of contributors that paid for the controversial P55 million television advertisement “Edsa-pwera.”

“I believe you need to remind your client — very strongly – about the donations list that constituted the P55 million for the television ad. Nothing has been submitted so far, and I enjoin you to submit these requirements from the Minority Leader Pimentel at the earliest possible opportunity,” Marcos told Pirma’s lawyers during the Senate committee on electoral reforms and people’s participation’s hearing on Friday.

Marcos’ warning came after Pirma lead convenor Noel Oñate confirmed that a whopping P55 million was spent on the controversial Edsa-pwera commercial that took television viewers by surprise on the evening of January 9.

READ: The ‘Edsa-pwera’ ad

Oñate said a bulk of the money came from his pocket, but he also admitted that nearly half came from contributors.

In the previous hearing, Senators Chiz Escudero and Marcos took the chance to request for the list of donors, but Oñate said he needed to consult these contributors first about whether their names could be publicized.

The contentious Edsa-pwera commercial sought to discredit the 1987 Constitution and the Edsa People Power Revolution. It also claimed that the Constitution failed to improve education and agriculture.