The defense protests too much - DEMAND AND SUPPLY

Okay okay… so they are just doing their job and showing off their brilliance as lawyers. But I think the defense panel of the President should not forget that we are in the midst of a political exercise as well. While the impeachment trial is also judicial, it is more political than anything else. That is why there are 22 elected senator-judges and only one Chief Justice.

From the start, the defense panel tried the usual legal maneuvers to prevent a complete airing of the charges against the President. First, there was the motion to quash. Then, Titong Mendoza wanted to severely limit the scope of the process in his opening spiel.

Then they made a big thing about a private prosecutor conducting the direct examination of Chavit. What are they afraid of? But they are scared. How else can we explain why Mendoza and company are preventing Erap from confronting his accusers?

They are making the President sound like a liar. Erap has time and again said he is eager to face his accusers. He also said he wants the process to clear him beyond doubt. How can that happen if defense counsel Joe Flame is even objecting to the use of a projector to illustrate documents already marked as exhibits?

The attempt to keep the Valhalla papers from being made public takes the cake for now. It seems that the defense is all out to win the case strictly on legal technicalities. Now there is a cheap trick of one of the more notorious Erap cronies who has belatedly claimed ownership of the account.

As I have said before, keeping those envelops sealed is a grave mistake. It is a virtual admission of guilt guaranteed to make Erap lose the political war. Even the masa who are looking at the trial as a way of vindicating Erap, if that is at all remotely possible, will feel shortchanged.

It is also very bad politically to overrule the Chief Justice on the matter of opening the Valhalla envelopes. Thus far, the Chief Justice has emerged from his controversy as someone who can be trusted to be fair. Even the Senate risks losing its credibility (or what remains of it) if it voted to keep the Valhalla papers secret.

It is also basic human psychology. Once you know there is a secret, you will not rest until you find out what it is. That's why soap operas always end with the phrase "abangan ang susunod na kabanata." You can suspend the day of revelation to whip up more interest, but there is always a day of reckoning.

The defense protests too much. It is almost as if they have so much to hide. Well, maybe they do. If so, they have the duty to advise their client to pack up and go. I hope they have done that too.

Electronic exports

Well, our dependence on electronic exports and single company buyers is starting to create problems. Some months ago, we were ecstatic over reports that a local company had received a large order for CD-RW (rewritable CD drives) from Philips. Ionics, the Philippine based manufacturing facility of the PSE-listed firm even expanded to accommodate the order.

Now, the winds have shifted directions. Citing slowing PC demand and a change in product models, Philips has apparently reduced target production levels for CD-RW drives to 268,000 units this year (from 450,000) and 6-7 million next year (from 7-7.5m). While assurances were quickly aired that profit targets for 2000 will not be affected, no mention was made of figures for 2001.

In Subic, I just noticed that in 1999, Acer accounted for more than one half of the total exports of the zone. Total exports in US dollars (FOB) was noted at a little over a billion dollars ($1,087,442,675.52). Acer exported out of Subic a total of $734 million. Most of the other locators at Subic, Hitachi, Omron, Sankyo and Mitsumi are also in the electronics/ cyber-related businesses.

While it is noteworthy that there is an effort to establish a viable cyber-related business hub in Subic, we also note that there is a heavy dependence on this sector, making us vulnerable to sharp turns in the world business environment for these products. We should now learn our lesson from the experience of Ionics with Philips. We have to diversify our export products and markets. Otherwise, we will be always vulnerable to abrupt changes in demand that could have serious consequences.

Reunion

On lighter things, my high school batch '66 at UP Prep finally managed to pull off an ambitious plan for a grand reunion over the weekend at Subic after two years of planning. Maybe it was because half of the class migrated to the US, Australia and points beyond that it was difficult to get a grand reunion going.

This year, the award for the most heroic effort to attend has to go to class valedictorian, Myrna Lopez-Soriano, now a physician, an endocrinologist based in New Jersey. She, husband Carlos and son Matthew endured over 12 hours sitting on a Northwest plane stranded in the tarmac at the Detroit International Airport for a series of reasons. When they finally got to Subic, they had been travelling over 40 hours.

Come to think of it, that Detroit Northwest hub is a real horror story. My brother-in-law, Dr. Art Ludan, passed through this airport a few weeks ago and came home without his luggage. Some years ago, he and his family were traveling together and their luggage ended in Vancouver ahead of them and required a lawyer to get the suitcases back to America.

Actually, if you aren't too colonial minded, the best way to cross the Pacific Ocean is via our good ol' Philippine Airlines. PAL has the best schedule. The late evening flight enables me to sleep on my way there and this minimizes my jet lag. From San Francisco or Los Angeles, you always have a choice of flights going East. Best of all, Filipina PAL stewardesses always make my flights a lot more pleasant. Coming back to Manila at dawn also gives me a full day ahead.

Anyway, the star of our reunion was former Presidential Spokesperson Jerry Barican. After that number he sang with the circa 60s combo, Jerry won't be jobless for long. Hows about being a torch singer for a career change? Public Works Undersecretary Mabini "EQ" Pablo is also ready for a post-retirement career as a stand-up comic. Too bad Dr. Ernie Espiritu, our favorite joke contributor, couldn't leave his ER in Texas. But pre-martial law ABS-CBN Radio Patrol reporter Perry Alcudia, now a Los Angeles resident, made it to Subic.

Nostalgia, menopause and fears of creeping Alzheimer's are always potent motivations for high school friends to get together. If you guys haven't tried it, go out there and do it. And don't forget to invite your old teachers too because they love it. As Thelma Garcia Abiva, our guidance counselor commented, "we are happy to know we look younger than some of you." Given that she had the responsibility of looking after our mental health in those days, her comment really made our day.

(Mis)Fortune

Prepian '66 Dr. Ernie Espiritu sent this one on the subject of revisiting the past.

Husband: Do you think it was fate that brought us together?

Wife: Nah, it was plain bad luck?

(Boo Chance's e-mail address is [email protected])