Text messaging: Hazardous to your marriage

It looks like more and more couples are using text messages as part of evidence for annulments, divorces, custody battles, property disputes and related cases, a group of American divorce lawyers disclosed. Apparently, iPhones, Droids and other smart phones can be powerful weapons during litigation since messages stored in these gadgets contain specific details such as name and cell number of the sender or recipient, the time the message was sent or received and the date. Other than text messages, social networking sites like Facebook are also being cited as evidence to prove infidelity, errant or unreasonable behavior because these contain written records of a user’s thoughts, deeds and intentions. Add to that explicit photographs and you have very clear evidence to advance your case and clean out your philandering spouse, a divorce expert commented.

It would seem that technology is beginning to take on a more significant role in spousal disputes. For instance, software developers are putting in stealth and GPS apps that allow wives to track the whereabouts of their husbands (or vice versa) – in short, spying apps that help suspicious spouses prove if their partner is cheating on them. According to sources, iPhones can save a year’s worth of data that would indicate a user’s location, areas he has visited and other movements at a particular date and time, which can then be stored in a file and synchronized with a computer and available for accessing later on.

In the Philippines, a lot of husbands engaged in “extra curricular” activities have been caught with their pants down due to incriminating messages discovered on their cellphones – leading to nasty spats with couples eventually headed for Splitsville. Smart chairman Manny Pangilinan jokingly told us he may just ask postpaid subscribers to sign a waiver indicating that the telco will not be responsible should anything unpleasant happen due to incriminating text messages found on a user’s cellphone.

 Decent businessmen cry foul over BIR charges

Plucky lawyer and former Solicitor General Frank Chavez informed us that members of the Makati Rotary are crying foul over the tax evasion case filed by the BIR, which based its action on allegations filed by so-called “confidential informants.” The Makati Rotary has been engaged in social and humanitarian projects as well as educational and scholarship programs, with many members engaged in individual efforts to help the less fortunate in society.

Frank denounced the BIR case as baseless and premature, explaining that the named respondents did not even receive a notice of informal conference or a pre-assessment notice formally informing a taxpayer about audit findings by the revenue agency. Neither were his clients given a notice of assessment or a formal letter of demand stating the facts and the rules and regulations on which an assessment is based. In short, the BIR acted in bad faith and violated his clients’ right to due process when it suddenly announced that it has filed a case against Makati Rotary officials.

We personally know some of the members – among them Wily Soong, Federico Borromeo, and Juan Carlos del Rosario (a cousin of Makati Business Club chair Ramon “Boy Blue” del Rosario) – as very decent people and conscientious businessmen who would not even think of cheating on their taxes or doing anything that goes against the law. It’s unfortunate that the BIR’s seeming haste in making accusations and filing complaints on mere allegations made by unnamed persons has dragged down the name of respectable people and tainted their reputations.

Meralco to put up electric stations

Meralco COO Oscar Reyes and senior vice president for marketing and communications Al Panlilio informed us that they have been asked by this administration to help cut down our dependence on gasoline and imported oil products. According to Reyes, there are plans to put up charging stations for electric vehicles to support government initiatives to ride on the growing popularity of e-jeeps and e-cars. President Noy has been emphatic about his government’s intention to reduce air pollution through the use of e-cars, but this would require a lot of commitment – not to mention considerable capital, on the part of investors.

All over the world, more and more countries are looking at the potential of electric vehicles to lower oil consumption and improve pollution levels since these cars can greatly reduce emissions. In the United States, new carbon efficiency and pollution standards are being issued for cars and trucks that can cut down oil consumption by as much as 1.5 million barrels per day or approximately 23 billion gallons a year. What’s more, these clean cars are expected to reduce smog-forming compounds by 90 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by 31 percent.

Al Panlilio said Meralco is looking at technology that would enable them to develop fast-charging stations that would also be affordable to consumers. Earlier, MVP also signified his commitment to help the emerging electric vehicle industry grow by developing environment friendly electric jeeps and tricycles which could contribute a lot in improving the air quality in Metro Manila. People who are privy to MVP’s vision could only agree that this would indeed be good for the country.

 P-Noy’s 4Ks

The usual Filipino humor never stops, this time with text messages circulating that a new “K” has just been added to President Noy’s 3Ks – kaibigan, kaklase at kabarilan – with the fourth “K” signifying “Koreana.” 

Spy tidbit

The Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX) in cooperation with the Management Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is organizing a conference on the mining industry’s impact on the Philippine economy and ecology this March 2 at the Bahia Room of Inter-Continental hotel in Makati. Speakers include Philex Mining Corporation chairman Manny Pangilinan, ABS-CBN Foundation’s Gina Lopez, and Puerto Princesa mayor Edward Hagedorn, among others. No doubt this timely conference will be interesting as well as informative and hopefully, will shed light on issues being faced by the mining industry.

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