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Sunday, July 10, 2005
Text messages help fuel RP political crisis (12:22 p.m.)
MANILA -- Beep, beep! President ready to flee the country. Beep, beep! Hoard groceries before banks collapse. Beep Beep! Troop convoy rumbling into Manila for a coup.
With a juicy crisis playing out, the always active Philippine rumor mill has been grinding in high gear the last month, sending thumbs flashing over mobile phone keyboards to forward the latest text messages.
The sources of the hot gossip tidbits are usually anonymous. It could be pranksters; it could be opposition dirty tricksters fueling the political crisis. Just read 'em--then pass 'em on to a few friends.
They may sound like the mobile phone version of junk mail, but no one should underestimate the power of text messages.
They helped call hundreds of thousands of protesters to the streets for "people power" rallies that forced out Philippine President Joseph Estrada in 2001. Text messaging was a key tool in mobilizing people for massive anti-Japan protests that turned violent in several major Chinese cities a few months ago.
The texters are at it again as President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo tries to claw her way out of a crisis triggered by allegations she rigged last year's election. The messages have helped heighten the drama, feeding rumors that Arroyo would quit soon.
One message circulating in recent days said Arroyo was in the presidential palace, negotiating a flight into exile. Another warned that the crisis would soon boil over, causing a run on the banks that would leave people unable to withdraw money to buy groceries.
Texters reported seeing a convoy of troops driving into the capital as generals plotted a coup. That spooked more than a few since the military played a role in both "people power" revolts over the last 19 years.
The messages even worked their way into Congress as lawmakers held hearings about wiretapped phone recordings of Arroyo seeking assurances from an election official that she would win by at least 1 million votes.
Lawmakers were frequently citing the recent text messages they received, annoying the proceedings' chairman so much that he banned spouting unsourced text messaging.
Text messaging is a fast, cheap way to send information that carries close to the urgency of a call. Messages can be forwarded by pushing a couple of buttons. The difficulty in tracing the source is a big plus in places like China where the government tries to throttle the flow of information.
Filipinos have long loved text messaging because it helps them stay in touch with family and friends living across the sprawling archipelago or working overseas. At just a peso (2 US cents, euro .014), a domestic message is a fraction of a voice call.
"I've seen reports that said the Philippines alone accounted for 10 to 15 percent of the global text message traffic," said Ramon Isberto, spokesman for Smart Communications, one of the country's main mobile phone companies.
Isberto said the political crisis, like others in recent years, has sparked a surge in text messaging. But he said there were more messages during the Estrada crisis because the event unfolded quicker.
"This is a relatively slow burn," he said. (AP) |
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