(Screenshot of viral "EDSA-pwera" ad)

How was the catchy yet controversial "EDSA-pwera" advertisement funded?

This is the question on the mind of Makabayan bloc member ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, who says that a House probe could be in order.

"We are now mulling to file a House Resolution to probe the funding used for the pro-Charter change (Cha-cha) ad now running on television," Castro, a House deputy majority leader, said in a statement Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 10.

"Were the funds used for this ad from public coffers or money from foreign interests trying to change our Constitution so that they can own most of our country?" she asked.

The teacher-solon was referring to a minute-long ad that espoused amendments to the 1987 Constitution. At the same time, it cast in a bad light the framing of the existing Charter following the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.

"EDSA-pwera" is a play on a Filipino phrase that means "left out". And according to the ad, the restrictive nature of the Charter had caused Filipinos to get left out from what could have been benefits in terms of foreign investments, education, agriculture, and the economy.

To illustrate this lack of progress, the actors in the commercial stood still as if they were playing the mannequin challenge.

The militant lawmaker said the catch-phrase could mislead people.

"Using EDSA-pwera as a catch-phrase the paid ad also misleads viewers by saying that it was farmers, students and local business men were the ones disadvantaged by the 1987 Constitution but what the voice over and the placards are saying is that more foreigners should wholly own land, businesses and even schools in our country," she noted.

As to the question of funding, Castro says the Filipino people can't be faulted for thinking that public funds were tapped for the ad.

"Hindi rin natin masisisi ang ating mga kababayan na isipin na maaaring pondo ng bayan ang ginamit dito lalo pa at may bagong tulak ang administrasyong Marcos para baguhin ang Konstitusyon," she said.

(We can't blame our countrymen if they think that public funds might have been used on it especially since there's a fresh effort from the Marcos administration to amend the Constitution).

In conclusion, Castro said that the supposed economic downturn suffered by country since the EDSA revolt shouldn't be blamed on the Constitution, but on the neoliberal policies of the past and current administrations.