SC asked to stop Comelec deal

A former election commissioner and his fellow advocates for clean elections have asked the Supreme Court to stop the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from awarding a P2.5 billion vote counting machine contract to a joint venture led by Smartmatic-TIM (Total Information Management) Corp., saying the firm was not qualified.

In a 52-page petition, former Comelec Commissioner Augusto Lagman, information technology professional Leo Querubin and their fellow advocate for transparent and credible elctions Maria Corazon Akol, said Comelec was wrong in reversing Smartmatic’s disqualification as the firm was wholly foreign-owned.

Impleaded in the case were the Comelec en banc, represented by Comelec Chair Andres Bautista, Smartmatic-TIM, Smartmatic International Holding B.V. and its partner in the joint venture, Jarltech International Corp.

It is the latest in a slew of lawsuits that Comelec and Smartmatic are facing together for procurement deals in preparation for the 2016 elections. Smartmatic was the country’s automated polling contractor for the 2010 and 2013 elections.

“The Comelec, unless restrained by the honorable court, is foist to unwisely spend billions of pesos in taxpayers’ money for the lease of 23,000 units of OMRs (Optical Mark Readers), to the detriment of the government and the petitioners,” the petition said.