With May polls done, SC junks plea vs lease of 70,000 OMRs

The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition that sought to stop the lease of 70,977 optical mark reader (OMR) machines for P6.286 billion that were used in the May 2016 elections.

At a media briefing, SC Public Information Office chief and spokesman Thedore Te said the tribunal dismissed the petition filed by Francisco Aguilar Jr. and Guillermo Santos against the Commission on Elections (Comelec) because the polls had already been concluded.

"The OMR machines have been utilized nationwide, [and] any resolution of the Court with regard to the implementation of Comelec Resolution No. 9980 will serve no substantive relief to the parties," ruled the SC.

The high court said resolving the plea would also "not have any practical or legal value to the Bench and the Bar."

The assailed Comelec resolution issued a notice of award to the Smartmatic joint venture for the lease of 70,977 OMR machines for use in the national and local elections.

In their 41-page plea, petitioners Aguilar and Santos said the Comelec committed grave abuse of discretion in opting to lease the new OMR machines because it would entail "illegal, irregular or unnecessary expenditures to the detriment of the government."

They said the lease of new OMRs would be unnecessary because the old precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines used in previous elections can still be used once refurbished. — RSJ, GMA News