Smartmatic appeals disqualification from voting machine deal

It is less than a year before the 2016 presidential elections, but the PCOS machines to be used are still not ready.

 

This is after the Commission on Elections again disqualified Smartmatic-TIM from supplying 23,000 additional PCOS vote-counting machines for the elections because of incomplete documents and because demo units failed to meet technical requirements.

 

Smartmatic has already filed a Motion for Reconsideratino to Comelec. In a statement, Smartmatic Asia president Cesar Flores said the company is confident they will still get the contract.

 

"We were surprised by the decision of the BAC to disqualify us. As far as we're concerned, we know that we have complied with all the requirements and are 100-percent certain that we have passed all the technical tests. We are ready, willing, and capable of demonstrating our full technical compliance before any forum," said Flores.

 

"We have already filed a Motion for Reconsideration before the BAC and we are confident that it will eventually see that we are, in fact, post-qualified."

 

Comelec needs 104,000 Precinct Count Optical Scan machines for the 2016 National Elections but only has 81,000 machines, most of which need preventive maintenance.

 

In case Smartmatic is ultimately disqualified, Comelec will hold a second bidding.

 

"Magkakaroon ng second bidding na matagal na nating sinimulan. Nung nagfail pa lang ito the first time, about a week after nagstart na tayo ng second bidding. Nung na-overturn yung decision sa Smartmatic, na-suspend ang second bidding. Ngayong na-disqualify na naman sila, gugulong na naman ang second bidding," said Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez.

 

Comelec is confident that they will be prepared come May 2016.

Options

 

They have two parallel plans to acquire the PCOS machines.

 

First, they can refurbish the PCOS machines they have, and lease an additional 23,000 machines. This would cost P5 billion pesos.

 

They can also opt to procure around 100,000 brand new machines for a heftier cost of P12 billion pesos.

 

Although the second option is more than twice the cost, Jimenez says it also has its advantages especially in terms of credibility.

 

"The problem with (the first option) is that it will use machines that have faced a little opposition. These new machines don't have history and that might actually be worth (the additional cost). New machines 'yan designed from scratch. There'll be an opportunity to customize that in ways that will be very acceptable to the public," said Jimenez.

 

There are no bidders yet in Comelec's second bidding, although Smartmatic is allowed to join.

 

Comelec expects the winning bidder to be able to start the project by the end of July. — JDS, GMA News