Smartmatic offers to provide PCOS machines for 2013 polls

MANILA, Philippines - Smartmatic International Corp. has offered to provide the technology for the 2013 polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said yesterday.

Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said Smartmatic is interested to become the service provider in the 2013 elections, although the Comelec has not yet fully paid for its services in the May 10 polls.

“They have been making pitches, and I think the same pitch has been forwarded to Congress by Smartmatic,” he said.

The Comelec has yet to study which technology would be used in the 2013 elections, Sarmiento said.

Smartmatic won the P7.2-billion contract to supply some 82,000 units of precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines in the May 10 elections.

However, the Comelec has been withholding payment of some P300 million pending its post-election evaluation and those of the Washington-based International Foundation for Electoral System.

Smartmatic has assured the Comelec that the hardware of the PCOS machines was durable and that the software can be adjusted with the latest technology in automated election systems.