Comelec to Supreme Court: Rush decision on PCOS deal

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

As the Supreme Court resumes regular sessions Wednesday, Commission on Elections Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. called on the justices to resolve the case questioning the poll agency’s purchase of the controversial precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines for next year’s elections.

Brillantes said that with the membership of the high court reduced to 14 following the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona, a “tie vote” would win the case for the Comelec.

“If the voting is 7-7, I’m OK with it since we will be the winner. The petitioners have to get eight votes,” he told reporters in an interview.

Brillantes said that a speedy resolution of the case would also quicken the Comelec’s preparations for the May 2013 polls.

“Our entire lives are devoted to automated elections. If we lose the case, it’s over. If we win, we’ll have smooth sailing and our preparations would be underway. I hope that we will win,” he added.

On Monday, acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio said the PCOS case would be among the first to be tackled by the entire court on Wednesday.

It will be recalled that the Supreme Court on April 24 issued a temporary restraining order barring the Comelec from exercising its option to purchase around 80,000 PCOS machines for P1.8 billion from Smartmatic Corp., the same machines it has leased and used in the 2010 elections.