The advocacy group TXTPower today said that “an estimated one million Filipinos now use the Hello Garci ringtone”, making it the Philippines and arguably the world’s most popular ringtone.

According to TXTPower convenor Anthony Ian Cruz, the one-million figure is based on the close to 350,000 downloads of the Hello Garci ringtones from the website www.TXTPower.org and its mirror-sites.

The group made the announcement today as nationwide protests are set to mark the first anniversary of Mrs. Arroyo’s proclamation as president in the fraud-ridden 2004 elections.

“Each of the 350,000 people who downloaded the ringtones have most often passed them on to their families and friends,” said Cruz, citing emailed reports from volunteers and sympathizers across the country and forum discussions also happening on the now-popular website.

He said that “even Mrs. Arroyo’s allies, members of the military and police, high government officials have downloaded these ringtones in an obvious endorsement of the calls for her to end her silence on the Gloriagate tapes.”

Cruz said that “citizens of the world’s texting and now political ringtone capital have this message to Mrs. Arroyo: ‘Hello Ma’am. Its time to tell the truth.’”

He said that since June 17 when the ringtones were first made available on the www.TXTPower.org, there have been over 350,000 recorded visitors and downloads. Heaviest visitor traffic was recorded on June 21, when the House started its hearings on the Hello Garci tape, with 58,192 visitors.

Cruz also said that there are now at least eleven versions of the Hello Garci ringtone that are all available for download at www.TXTPower.org including remixes with the music of Eminem (Without You), Masculados (Lagot Ka), Billy Joel (Honesty), Lipps (Funkytown), Vanilla Ice (Ice Ice Baby), among others.

TXTPower also reports that the stories about the Hello Garci ringtone are grabbing headlines worldwide as local correspondents of international news agencies have filed news articles on the curious mobile activist phenomenon.

Yahoo.com has ranked a news story on the Hello Garci ringtone among its Top 20 News Stories this week, while the CNN website has also featured a similar story with a link to the www.TXTPower.org website.

Group joins rally today

TXTPower has formed a Hello Garci Ringtone Download Team that will offer free ringtones during today’s National Day of Protest march from Sto. Domingo Church to Liwasang Bonifacio.

“We will take part in the rally because, like many Filipinos, TXTPower demands to know the truth behind the serious allegations of fraud said to have been committed by Mrs. Arroyo,” said Cruz.

Last Modified : June 24th, 2005
Filed under : News
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