| Take a look at your mobile phone's message inbox. | | | | resign. When crucial evidence against him had been |
| Chances are that you will find a few forwarded | | | | presented to the senate, majority of senators voted |
| jokes and quotations, greetings, some alerts from | | | | to have it blocked from examination. This infuriated |
| network operations and of course, messages from | | | | many Filipinos who in very little time, managed to |
| family and friends. From this angle the Short Message | | | | gather thousands of protesters at the Epifanio de los |
| Service (SMS) seems rather simple. But is that the | | | | Santos Avenue (EDSA) a highway that connects five |
| case? | | | | cities of Metro Manila. The road was choked and |
| The first text messages was sent in 1992 and since | | | | though the protest was non violent, the message |
| then, this form of communication has come a long | | | | was clear, the Filipinos wanted Estrada to step down. |
| way. Sms messages are no longer just another | | | | The reason so many people were able to gather in |
| means of staying in touch with people, they are now | | | | such a short time was that students and activists all |
| being used to affect our decisions through | | | | over Manila used text messages to spread this word, |
| advertising, decide the fate of people's dreams, | | | | Go 2 EDSA, wear black, was a popular sms that |
| through voting on reality shows, and even bring | | | | circulated that day. The result, the Philippine National |
| about social, political and economic revolutions. | | | | Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines |
| The power of this harmless little act that we so | | | | withdrew their support of Estrada, who gave in the |
| fondly call "Texting" can be gauged from the fact | | | | resignation at 6:15 pm that very day. |
| that it has brought down governments. In 1001, the | | | | The impact of messages on public opinion has been |
| 13th president of Philippines, Joseph Estrada, had | | | | proved more than once, as it has often been used |
| been accused of political corruption and was | | | | as a tool for political mobilization. |
| undergoing an impeachment trial, yet he refused to | | | | |