Pirating my number & my privacy

No one likes junk mail.

Most people I know don’t like junk email either, but that’s ok since we all have filters. Many readers have also complained about unsolicited text messages selling products mostly from banks, loan sharks or real estate agents.

But we tolerate it because people need to make a living. But when somebody calls you directly on a Sunday to offer you a real estate proposal, I have to say that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

While I was in the middle of writing my column yesterday, I was disturbed by a call from 09158337414. The caller knew my name and immediately said that he was from Century Properties and would like to offer a project proposal.

He did not ask if it was a good time to call, he did not apologize if he may have interrupted or disrupted my Sunday rest, nap or family time. He went straight to the offer. He was obviously clueless that he just invaded my privacy by making the unsolicited call.

When I demanded to know how he got my number he immediately stated that my number was on the data bank of Century Properties and that he was on the team of a certain Mr. Cecilio. The only thing I could probably hurl at the guy is not having the polite consideration that you don’t call strangers and you don’t make sales calls on Sundays.

Even GOD put that on HIS rulebook!

On the other hand, I would like to know what the Department of Trade and Industry has done on this practice of marketing firms that buy “harvested numbers” and use those numbers for cold calls or in my case an invasion of my privacy?

People have complained about this intrusion time and again, but the DTI seems to be oblivious or does not take this growing disruptive practice seriously. It may not have occurred to the DTI people that companies and their employees who acquire “contact lists” also trade their lists with others. So one “client” or “buyer” name will be passed around and will be subjected to a series of call because of the “Pasa list” practice.

This in fact is the reason why a number of people I know have been forced to change their numbers. But why should private individuals be forced to change contact numbers when all it takes is for the DTI to issue a circular prohibiting marketing practices that are based on wild shots, cold calls and actually invade privacy.

In the case of the National Telecommunications Commission, they should declare it illegal to “pass on, sell or otherwise profit from the sale of a private contact number”. Harvesting private telephone numbers and selling them without permission is no different from Intellectual Property theft or Piracy. On behalf of many private citizens, please give back our privacy.

To put things to speed I would suggest a “Hot line” where people can report & forward such incidents. I’m sure that once banks, loan companies, and property developers realize they are making more enemies, and they start spending more time addressing calls from the DTI and the NTC, this crude and unprofessional practice of cold and rude telemarketing will stop.

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“What you started, you must always finish”.

This is the general sentiment of many people towards our Senators who started the investigation on Government Owned and Controlled Corporations, and then suddenly or seemingly bailed out even before they submitted their findings or made an official report.

As far as ordinary citizens are concerned, they want more details, actual names and actual prosecution and imprisonment of people if they are really guilty. In the case of the GOCC abuses, the common impression is that most of the information is simply “Press Release” or Press Conference pick-ups.

The Senators took full advantage of the publicity materials but did not really drag the GOCC officials to the Senate. Yes names were mentioned but no real confrontations took place. This is unusual and disturbing since members of the Senate have dragged and threatened contempt charges for private persons or corporations.  

People who have sent in their reactions even point out the fact that if someone is a “big shot”, politically associated or a contemporary in school or early years of employment, Congress almost always applies a gentler formula for persuasion.

Just think about it and ask your self: Did Congress or the Senate actually send anyone to jail for cheating investors in fund scams? Was anyone sent to jail for cheating investors in pre-paid education plans? Did any gambling lord actually go to jail for Jueteng? Was anything ever resolved in the Makati – Peninsula siege?

I guess the problem is in the process & procedure. Our senators do all the asking and the talking and then they pass the matter to the state prosecutors, the Sandiganbayan or the Department of Justice where their public value from lack of media spotlights.

So don’t wonder if certain ex-government officials or GOCC directors act with impunity and arrogance. Because no one has ever been punished or seriously gone to jail, there is nothing to be afraid of. Because Senate hearings are short term events, the concept of embarrassment or ridicule pales in comparison to one or two hundred million peso windfalls.