Political Text Spam

Another letter writer at the Inquirer (yes, another one) tells a story related to the letter writer by a friend who is in Manila:

“You can imagine my surprise when I got this text message two days before the elections:
‘PLANO NG G.O. REBOLUSYON. Ayaw namin ng gulo, gusto namin ng katahimikan at kaunlaran …VOTE STRAIGHT TEAM UNITY!’” (This was followed by the names of the administration’s 12 senatorial candidates.) And you know what? The same message was sent to me from two different cell phones — +63921 2561136 and +63921 2558366. I was really bothered because (1) neither of these numbers appear in my Smart phone directory, my file of business and personal cards, my memo pad where I scribble phone numbers; (2) the tenor of the message shows it comes from a group (‘ayaw namin/gusto namin’); and (3) could this mean that there are entities — either private or public, civilian or military — who can access individual phone numbers in this country, and would the telephone companies themselves be complicit?”

Phone numbers! Spam them! Now! I suggest you use Chikka he he.

Anyway, whoever sent the spam, they must have lots of moolah. Hmm. A GSM modem. Lots of prepaid load or a Smart line with near-infinite credit limit. I wonder how they got cellphone numbers to spam. Maybe randomly-generated, as I did not get this spam message (I’m on Smart). Or maybe this is just a forward message thing.