Melo worries about delay

MANILA, Philippines - Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Jose Melo admitted yesterday that thoughts of not meeting the deadline on the automated 2010 polls are keeping him awake at night.

Melo said that despite the assurance of the Smartmatic International Corp.-Total Information Management Corp. (TIM) that the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines would be delivered on time, he is still worried that deliveries would be delayed and this causes him sleepless nights.

“We have already been delayed because of the case. Until I see it (machines), I’m worried. Although Smartmatic-TIM assured us that they can do it,” noted Melo, referring to the case filed by the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) against the automation.

The CCM, represented by lawyer Harry Roque, has asked the Supreme Court to nullify the P7.2-billion automation contract awarded to Smartmatic-TIM but the petition was rejected.

Melo claimed the petition had somehow derailed preparations for automation and that this would take its toll on the automation system.

“Aside from the machines needing to be delivered, they also have to be tested… We are still not out of the woods,” he added.

The Comelec had ordered 82,000 PCOS machines, delivery of which is expected to be completed by January 2010.

Last month, the poll body received the first batch of 20,000 machines that are being used in the Comelec’s road show presentation.

CCM questions move  to tap new manufacturer

The CCM questioned before the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday the last-minute change in the supplier of counting machines to be used in the country’s first automated national elections last year.

The group led by Roque said Smartmatic–TIM’s move to tap a new manufacturer of the counting machines that is different from the one it submitted when it won the contract with Comelec was tantamount to sub-contracting, which is a violation of Republic Act 9184 (New Procurement Act) and bidding rules.

Petitioners said RA 9184 provides that “any subcontracting arrangements made during the project implementation and not disclosed at the time of the bidding shall not be allowed.”

“This practice is not allowed because obviously, we need to hold the manufacturers directly liable to answer for product warranty defects.

This change in manufacturer is also a major change in the contract specifications required by Comelec in its request for proposals,” they argued.

The CCM believes that allowing sub-contracting “would be most unfair to the losing bidders and the Filipino people as it is as if the contractor was allowed to dictate new terms of contract when a bidding is precisely to ensure that the people enjoy the best terms and conditions of contract pursuant to specified requirements.”

Smartmatic-TIM reportedly informed Comelec two weeks ago that Quisdi, an electronics firm based in Shanghai in China, would now be manufacturing the machines to be used in the PCOS under the supervision of its subsidiary, Taiwan-based Jarl-tech, which was supposed to build the machines but was reportedly affected by a recent typhoon.

CCM added that the change in manufacturer would delay the delivery of machines, which should be completed by January based on the contract.

Apart from this issue, the CCM also cited the lack of funding of the consortium for satellite communication facilities to ensure 100 percent coverage and implementation of the PCOS during the elections. – With Edu Punay, Jose Rodel Clapano