About PIRMA Kapamilya
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#PIRMAKapamilya #IbalikAngABSCBN MANIFESTO NG PIRMA KAPAMILYA (People’s Initiative to grant ABS-CBN a People’s Franchise) We are PIRMA. WHO ARE WE? We are an independent purely volunteer-led and volunteer-driven movement of Filipinos. We are not aligned with any one political party or personality. We come from different backgrounds – we have among us professors, lawyers, students, student leaders, homemakers, entrepreneurs, government workers, employees, retirees, to name a few. While we may come from varying passions and persuasions, we are held collectively by a common affinity to a cause that hits close to home. We grew up with ABS-CBN but we are not ABS-CBN. Weekends were never complete without Going Bulilit, The Buzz or ASAP or Maalaala Mo Kaya. Mornings never truly officially started without Umagang Kay Ganda, Salamat Dok, Sineskwela, or Headstart. Over lunch, a meal just never tasted as good without Showtime. Ang TV and Tabing Ilog were staple afternoon dates. Capping the day without TV Patrol, Palibhasa Lalaki, Home Along the Riles and Probinsyano was just not the way to go. And of course, being warned of a coming typhoon, public service announcements, and relief efforts post-calamity was more comforting and reassuring by listening to DZMM. Our lives have been touched by the network in one way or another. ABS-CBN delivers information, entertainment, and public service which has brought immeasurable color and happiness to Filipinos here and across the globe. WHAT DO WE BELIEVE? Just like the rest of the nation, we watched closely as the teleserye shot in the Halls of Congress unfolded before our eyes. This is what we found wrong: • Yes, it would have been good had more taxes been paid by ABS-CBN – BUT tax avoidance is not illegal. Our tax laws drawn up by our legislators allow for this. • Yes, some of us felt uneasy knowing the man at the helm of ABS-CBN voted in the US election – BUT being a DUAL CITIZEN is not prohibited. Our law on citizenship recognizes a dual citizen as every bit Filipino. • Yes, our hearts bled after hearing of the less than ideal employment arrangements inside ABS-CBN – BUT these were neither prohibited by laws nor deemed violative of laws our legislators crafted. • Yes. PDRs may seem to suggest foreigners have a part of the network – BUT experts have spoken. PDRs do not mean ownership as proscribed by the Constitution. There was nothing violated by these commonly-used and accepted arrangements. V1 20 July 2020 9 • Yes, perhaps in the past 65 years of its history, there were times when personal biases became apparent – BUT it is not a crime to speak one’s mind. In fact, doing so is protected by our Constitution. YES. ABS-CBN CAN DO BETTER. Our citizens deserve better from those to whom the privilege of a franchise is granted. But, the worst part was when seventy (70) of our people’s supposed representatives dealt that final blow and death sentence to ABS-CBN and its thousands of workers, employees, and suppliers. Did ABS-CBN deserve this? DEFINITELY NOT – especially since there were no laws violated by ABS-CBN that merited the non-renewal of its franchise. Clear as day, these legislators abused the privilege granted to them to represent the people when they used the proceedings not to advance the nation’s interests but their own personal agenda. And this we cannot continue to sit idly by and do nothing about. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? Today, we have come together to reclaim the power of the citizenry and correct this fatal mistake and betrayal of the people’s trust. Our Constitution provides for a mechanism for citizens to craft laws and directly shape the course of our country’s future. We begin exercising that right today via PIRMA Kapamilya, a people’s initiative that grants ABS-CBN a people’s franchise. Together with all of you, we will gather 7M signatures in order for us, as a people, to enact a law that Congress refused to do. And we will get ABS-CBN back on air. This time, stronger and better. It is a shot in the dark. It may seem like an impossibility. But this is ABS-CBN. And this is the WILL OF THE PEOPLE. Prior to the decision of the Joint Committee in Congress, already there was an overwhelming support for the network which has become part of the household of Filipinos for the past decades. And even after Congress dealt that final blow, surveys say that people did not agree. An overwhelming majority of Filipinos still believe that ABS-CBN should be given a franchise to operate. So today, our group of ordinary Filipinos is embarking on this seemingly impossible dream. If it takes all of us to dream the impossible to reclaim our rights as a people, make our voices heard, and get back ABS-CBN on air, we will. Sama-sama nating ibalik ang nagbibigay kulay sa ating buhay. WHAT ARE WE ASKING FOR? We ask only one thing today. We ask for your PIRMA. Because your PIRMA matters, Kapamilya. #PIRMAKapamilya #IbalikAngABSCBN V1 20 July 2020 10 TEN COMMANDMENTS OF PIRMA • CLEAR ADVOCACY: We are not here to solicit any form of support for any other group, individual, or cause other than giving an ABS-CBN franchise with strengthened reportorial mechanisms and a clearly articulated labor welfare clause. • CONSENT FREELY and VOLUNTARILY GIVEN: We do not give favors, money, special accommodation in exchange for signatures. We will not resort to intimidation, threats, fraud, or other underhanded mechanisms in order to secure signatures. • FULLY INFORMED CONSENT: We will not gather signatures without ensuring that each petitioner we approach has read the Petition and has fully understood it. • PURE CITIZENS MOVEMENT: We all undertake to achieve our goals without the use of government or public funds or resources. • RESPONSIBILITY: As far as practicable, we each take responsibility for the signatures we gather and do our part to ensure correctness and completeness. • INCLUSIVE: We will not discriminate signatories and petitioners on the basis of political beliefs, religious affiliation, or other irrelevant factors. We are united by a single two-fold advocacy: the empowerment of the people thru the mechanism of a people’s initiative and the grant of an ABS-CBN franchise. • MINDFUL OF HEALTH CONCERNS: We will not unduly compromise the health and safety of our volunteers and fellow Filipinos. We will practice physical distancing, wear our masks, practice good hygiene, and not engage in mass gatherings during this time of health crisis. • RESPECTFUL OF PRIVACY: We will be mindful of the privacy of people and ensure that data given to us is secure, protected, and used only for the purpose for which it was given. We will not share the same with anyone and any other group for purposes other than this present People’s Initiative. • RESPECT: In the gathering and collection of signatures, we treat everyone with respect whether they are ally or foe, supportive or otherwise. • TRANSPARENCY and ACCOUNTABILITY: We will be transparent in our dealings with volunteers and petitioners and disclose reasons for our actions and take responsibility for them. V1 20 July 2020 13 .