EDSA DOS
With the new Century over a year old, technology has now played critical yet very different roles in bringing two of the world’s leaders to power.
On the other hand, a new information and communications technology (ICT) - the mobile phone - was the symbol of the People Power II revolution in the Philippines. Arguably, the most lasting image of Ms Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s new Presidency was when, on being asked in a news conference whether a Lt. Gen. Espinosa was planning a coup, she called him up on her mobile phone. In moment of high drama she asked him directly if this was the case and after a brief conversation reported it wasn’t.
But it was the use of cellphones for “texting” rather than calls that was the most intriguing part of People Power II and was also the key to its success. The lack of attention to the role of technology is surprising. People Power II was arguably the world’s first “E-revolution” - a change of government brought about by new forms of ICTs.
“Texting” allowed information on former President Estrada’s corruption to be shared widely. It helped facilitate the protests at the EDSA shrine at a speed that was startling - it took only 88 hours after the collapse of impeachment to remove Estrada. The use of mobile phones was why the mobilization (or perhaps “mobile-ization”) was so large and so rapid and thus so decisive. Estrada himself blamed his ouster on the “text messaging generation.”
ICTs are unlikely to change the main principles of politics. But, in particular in less established democracies, this is unlikely to be the last time that the stunning advances in ICTs play a crucial role in helping the people remove a bad leader. The people of the Philipines will have shown one way and for that we should thank the “Text Brigade”.
