MANILA, Philippines – The People’s Initiative for Modernization and Reform Action (PIRMA) has been non-existent since February 10, 2004, the date the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revoked its registration for failing to submit reportorial requirements.

This was revealed during the Senate inquiry on the people’s initiative to amend the Constitution on Tuesday, February 13.

“Their certificate of registration has been revoked since February 10, 2004,” said SEC’s Katrina Jean Miranda, when asked by Senator Imee Marcos to confirm the information in relation to PIRMA’s existence.

PIRMA first registered with the SEC on March 12, 1997.

Miranda said that since 2004, PIRMA has not been submitting their documents for registration with the SEC, based on the agency’s records.

“What we only have are their articles of incorporation and by-laws which they submitted when they applied for registration,” she said.

In response, PIRMA lead counsel Alex Avisado said that they had submitted the corporation’s updated email and contact persons through the SEC portal just after the Senate held its first inquiry in early February.

“You are going to update the website of a corporation that has not been in existence in 20 years. Wala na ito. Multo na ito. Wala nang PIRMA. Bente anyos na, ano pa pagpipilitan natin dito (This is already non-existent. This is ghost. No more PIRMA. It’s been 20 years, what are we pushing for here)?” said Marcos, chairman of Senate committee on electoral reforms.

Miranda also said that the proper re-registration process for PIRMA is to apply for petition to lift the order of revocation, and not just to submit updated details online.

In response, Avisado said, “We cannot file a petition for reinstatement unless we update the portal through online submissions.” He added that their next step is to submit to the SEC the names of the new PIRMA directors.

In previous Senate inquiry, PIRMA lead convenor Noel Oñate disclosed that the corporation spent P55 million for a paid advertisement on the supposed “failures” of the 1987 Constitution to highlight the need for charter change. PIRMA has yet to disclose the list of donors for the TV ad.

Oñate had also earlier disclosed that House Speaker Martin Romualdez “helped” them in the signature campaign they initiated for the supposed people’s initiative.

Amid questions surrounding the people’s initiative, the Commission on Elections decided to stop proceedings related to charter change. – Rappler.com