Some Good News for a Change

June 7, 2005

CICT Commissioner Dondi Mapa reports that representatives of various sectors came together over the weekend to create a vision for the Philippine software industry.  I hope good things come from this.  I’ve always believed that this industry has the ability to be successful in the world market.  With government support coming from the CICT, they might just do that and more. 

Who’s Guilty of Wiretapping?

Maybe I’m completely off the mark here but if media reports are true, then Sec. Bunye produced 2 CD’s — one containing the original conversation while the other had the “spliced” version.  He then claims that someone is guilty of wiretapping - a criminal offense.  I just have one question:  how come the President has a copy of the “unaltered” conversation? 

If my calls were bugged by unknown third parties and the resulting tapes were spliced, I wouldn’t be able to refute the tapes.  But here, the President offers her own version which means that she or someone else makes recordings of all her telephone conversations.  It should be pointed out that the President or whoever recorded those “unaltered” conversations might be equally guilty of wiretapping unless it can be shown that all the participants to the call had given their consent to the recording. 

But for me, I don’t think it’s likely that the President recorded all her calls.  Therefore, I doubt the authenticity of her “unaltered” versions.  There’s no logical reason why she would have them.

Perhaps  Malacanang is fighting fire with fire.  If the opposition will falsify a recording, then it’s okay for the administration to do the same.  Or maybe the “altered” tapes are in fact, authentic.  Whichever is true should be played out in the following days. (more…)

Graft and VoIP?

IT Matters reports that PLDT will file a case for graft against the NTC commissioners should they insist on issuing the draft VoIP regulations that will open up the industry to other players.  I need to review the law but there’s something strange about suing a government official for graft when all they’re doing is introducing competition.  Of course, it’s a direct threat intended to make the commissioners think twice. I hope they won’t be fazed.