P11 Billion for New PCOS Machines? Oh No!
05/05/2015 – Manila | The Philippines has one of the most expensive elections in the world according to ProPolitico, a political analyst organization based in Miami, Florida. The country is spending more that it can afford against its GNP according to the group.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is asking the government to spend P36 billion for the coming 2016 elections.
According to Commissioner Sixto Brillantes, the emount will be used to buy new PCOS machines and to refurbish the existing ones, and also for Bangsamoro plebiscite.
The Supreme Court has just rejected the contract extension of the controversial Smartmatic – the company that supplied the current PCOS machines.
The COMELEC is thinking of scrapping the old machines worth billions of dollars and mulling to buy new machines for almost P11 billion.
Comelec Executive Director Jose Tolentino Jr. told lawmakers at the hearing of House committee on suffrage and electoral reform that the commission will conduct a public bidding next year to find the best deal as regards the 121,800 new PCOS machines it plans to buy
Brillantes said that the purchase can only be made if the Congress approves that P36B proposed budget. Some lawmakers saw it extremely overpriced.
Smartmatic on the other hand warned that it cannot give any guarantee if the government hires other company to refurbish the existing machines.
In an interview with ANC, Smartmatic Asia President Cesar Flores said the company will abide by the Supreme Court (SC) ruling Tuesday that scrapped the company’s P269-million diagnostics and repair deal with the Commission on Elections notwithstanding a motion for reconsideration that is expected to be filed.
“We are the original manufacturer of the machines. We are the only source of original spare parts. It’s a proven system. The best way to go without risk is the logical way that Smartmatic followed – to contract the original manufacturer,” Flores said.
The fate of the old machines worth billions of pesos has yet to be decided after the Supreme Court rejected Smartmatic’s proposal.
COMELEC is running out of time in the preparation of 2016 election, but one thing is certain – Filipinos will again shoulder the billions of pesos worth of one of the most expensive elections.
See Also: Philippine Politics is Second Most Profitable Business in Asia, Money Magazine Says
/Fanny Jalacjac/ Assisted Press
