Philippines

TXTPower was born on Aug. 27, 2001, a few months after the People Power 2 revolt of mobile phone-wielding Filipinos. Six years into the future, TXTPower is now known as an advocate of consumer rights, civil liberties and the creative use of mobile phones for social change.

The group's convenors in 2001 never expected TXTPower to last longer than the campaign to protest the "free text reduction" implemented by telcos Smart and Globe.

Soon after the campaign that delayed the implementation of the "free text reduction" through court cases and high-profile protests, we continued and raised the level of TXTPower advocacy: We stood up against repeated attempts to impose a "text tax" -- culminating in the frontpage banner story that rocked Congress and compelled the Speaker to promise to the nation that no "text tax" will be enacted.

SIM card registration -- purportedly to address crime and terror -- is likewise another Frankenstein that refuses to die. But TXTPower is relentless in opposing it to preserve the right to privacy of the public.

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On Monday, June 26, people's organizations and prominent individuals will file an impeachment complaint against Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for crimes that include foisting a de facto dictatorship, curtailment of civil liberties, the mass killing of activists and other acts that aimed to cover-up her tracks in the fraud she committed in the 2004 elections. A vigil has been arranged jointly by the mass movement outside Congress and the congressional opposition so that the said impeachment complaint would be filed ahead of any sham impeachment complaint that may be lodged by allies of Mrs. Arroyo. (Last year, a lawyer was the first to file such a complaint, but it was so weak the opposition had to amend it. Congress rejected the amendments and voted on the basis of the lawyer's week complaint. Nobody wishes the lawyer to mke a repeat.)

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As we countdown to the end of 2005 and the start of 2006, allow me to share this list of best wishes for everyone who likes mobiles and uses them for activism:

1. Low call and text rates – Some say that we have far lower call and text rates compared with our Asian neighbors and those in other places but Filipinos do not live in similar conditions. A five-minute local mobile call in the Philippines eats up as much as 20 percent of a day’s minimum wage! Meanwhile, texting ought to be provided on a flat rate, unlimited basis simply because this service is already integral in GSM mobile technology. This means that the telcos Globe, Smart and Sun could provide it for free, and if not for free, at really low rates considering that they do not spend additional dollars of pesos just to provide the service. Lest we forget, SMS is built-in in GSM mobile technology.

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Filipinos Crash Site for Popular Ringtone A Website offering a wireless phone ringtone featuring the phrase, "Hello Garci" briefly crashed last week as thousands tried to download it. Consumer group TXT power said its site had been overwhelmed by a demand for the clip taken from the allegations that Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo attempted to fix the results of last year’s election. The opposition contends that the recording offers support to these claims. (Source: Reuters)