The power of txt messages

The infotech revolution is helping make people decide firmly on the leaders of their choice. It has also been helping the undecided make a choice. It is also telling people not to waste their votes by not voting for the candidates who are less likely to win – and vote for the winnable!

You can imagine the millions of text messages that are transmitted from one cellphone to another. Amazing! The exchange of messages confirming or denying, lifting up, or trampling, a candidate’s credibility shows that people are concerned about the May 10 elections – which are just three days away.

The texting rage began months ago – when candidates declared their eligibility for election. The jokes have been incredibly funny.

Here are just a few messages that crept into my cellphone:

"Let’s pray that the Supreme Court decides that electronic transmission of tabulated election results is the anser 2 dagdag-bawas. Ds s d start towards clean elections. Plspass." – Joey (I got this late message just now; the High Tribunal has declared the transmission illegal.)

"Visayan supporters who were promised but did not get funds for election day are shouting, "Si PANDAY walang PIRA!’" Reli

"Only a changed man can chane a nation. Dats why we r voting for an upright person. W R NOT WASTING our vote . . . WE R MAKING A STAND. I AM FOR BRO EDDIE V." – Warren

"Let us ask GOD to bring HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS into d governance of our morally sick n dying country. Pls VOTE 4 BRO. EDDIE 4 moral ascendancy. Pls. pass." – F

Days before, the txt messages were enjoining us to attend the WALK with Bro. Eddie through Ayala avenue April 29. "Be counted! Pass 7 x."

After May 10, the messages will be different. Dagdag-bawas will be the message of the day. Of course, there will be congratulatory messages, messages of joy and laughter.

I hope your candidates win. Text me.

Three columns ago I wrote that a high-level political observer said the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) head Bishop Ephraim Tendero

(I even misspelled his first name) had made a declaration for Gloria. In the column that followed I printed the bishop’s txted message from Hong Kong where he said he was not endorsing any political candidate as his organization was non-partisan, and that was he is involved in NAMFREL’s voter’s education program.

On the day that I put out the bishop’s disclaimer, a reader em-ailed me, saying 1)I was a "political prostitute," 2) I did not even apologize to Bishop Tendero, and that 3) he (the reader and txter) hoped na makarma ako.

Well, the other day, the bishop txted me again. He wrote, "Coming from HK, it was great to read aboard Cathay your column where u prnted my txt to u about non-partisan position of the PCEC. Tnk u. God bless you. Efraim Tendero."

I also got a text message from my hometown, Gingoog City, requesting me to write about a townmate who is running for councilor in the 2nd district of Makati. The candidate is Atty. Nap Malimas. He finished the law course at the Ateneo de Manila University College of Law where he graduated silver medalist, and placed 12 in the bar examination of 1973. After graduation he worked as an associate attorney in the law office of the late, now deceased, then Vice-President Emmanuel Pelaez (also a Misamis Orientalnon). He has served as councilor three times, and volunteers his legal services in his church parish and in defending the poor through the Free Legal Assistance Program of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo.

Nap, who was born in Gingoog in 1947, is married to the former Dr. Raquel Malimas of Basey, Samar. They have three children. Nap’s platform: working for the creation of a department that will serve the legal needs of indigents, like free consultation, notarization of documents, and free representation by lawyers in the courts of Makati.

The Filipino-Chinese Federation of Business and Professional Women of the Philippines (Fil-Chi) is hosting the TIAW-FILCHI International convention May 16 – 18. TIAW (The International Alliance for Women) is an international organization of businesswomen and professionals who are working for the economic empowerment of women. The convention theme is, "Women Living Up to the Challenges of the Global Economy." Venue will be Hotel Intercontinental. Myrna T. Yao is president of Fil-Chi.

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