Concern raised after Smartmatic machine emitted smoke during demo

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Computer Society (PCS) expressed concern yesterday over the incident involving the machines of Smartmatic-Total Information Management Corp. (TIM), the bidder expected to bag the P11.3-billion automation project of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Smartmatic-TIM was demonstrating its machines before Comelec’s Special Bids and Awards Committee when it emitted smoke. It turned out that thin wires were used to connect the machines to a battery, causing a short circuit.

A Smartmatic-TIM representative said this can easily be remedied by just changing the wires.

In a letter to Comelec officials, PCS said the mismatching of the cable wire “reveals an oversight on the part of the assembler if not, poor supervision in the manufacturer’s quality control.”

“Pockets of system or device failure may raise suspicion, chaos, if not distress among the candidates and public at large for lack of preparedness in anticipating such eventuality,” said PCS incoming president Nelson Celis.

The group was also concerned over the restrictions in the bidder’s license software, claiming that this could cause “undue unrest among the public.”

PCS added that the restriction might hinder efforts to prove accusations of data or system manipulations because the political parties or candidates would not be allowed to open the machine’s source code for review.

Smartmatic-TIM had been recommended by SBAC to the Comelec to be awarded the contract to supply the 82,000 precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines to be used in 2010 polls.

According to Comelec Chairman Jose Melo, they have yet to find a reason to deny the SBAC recommendation.

Melo said they are inclined to declare Smartmatic-TIM the winner. “SBAC was created by the Commission. They made their recommendation, we will respect their recommendation unless there are bigger, important reasons not to accept it.”

He said the concerns raised by the PCS had the subject of the meeting among representatives of the Comelec, Poll Advisory Council, PCS and the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday.

From this meeting, a report is expected to come out to guide the Comelec in deciding on the SBAC recommendation.

Melo added that if the output is not supportive, the Comelec might have to exercise its judgment, “whatever it is.”