Two weeks ago, President Benigno S. Aquino III agreed to show the Senate his text messages to then suspended Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima during the Mamasapano operation. Unfortunately, due to a file mix-up, the wrong screen shots were uploaded on the website of the Official Gazette of the Philippine Government. These text screen shots stayed online for around 41 minutes before they were taken down.
Here are the messages successfully retrieved:
1. Texts to Abi Valte
The messages uploaded were arranged alphabetically and the President’s messages with his Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abi Valte were the first to be accessed, so a bulk of the messages uploaded in this article are between him and her. They seem to have been in constant communication despite Valte’s apparent displeasure upon receiving messages from the President.
The messages allow people to have a rare glimpse into the lighter side of the President. It also shows him encouraging and supporting his subordinates.
The texts also reveal his other aspirations.
And it shows how he sees the brighter side in national issues.
2. Texts to his sister Kris Aquino
Texts to his sister Kris Aquino were also successfully retrieved before the screen shots were taken down.
The texts reveal how the siblings interact. They also show their concern for each other. Two weeks ago, a rumor went around that the President collapsed, although he denied the incident. The texts reveal otherwise.
It also shows that even the President would try to learn new things.
And the following text reveals a bit about the President’s occasional babysitting of Bimby.
They also sometimes exchange fashion advice.
3. Texts to Alan Purisima
The only message retrieved that was actually from Alan Purisima turned out to be an ordinary conversation, and it shows that the President experiences the same everyday problems experienced by the rest of the population.
4. Texts to Miriam Santiago
The last screen shot retrieved from the website of the Official Gazette of the Philippine Government was a text conversation with Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.
These were the only screen shots successfully retrieved. More updates to follow.
