MAKATI CITY, Philippines ? SAP Philippines has finally broken its silence over accusations by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) that IBM?s DB2 database software was at fault for the agency?s massive system crashes.

In a statement sent to INQUIRER.NET, SAP Philippines said that it had no contractual relationship with the agency in the implementation of its IT infrastructure software or consultancy services.

Instead, the software company stressed that GSIS licensed SAP software from Team Synergia, a local value-added reseller.

SAP also insisted that it would not comment on any other product or organization involved in the issue.

?We understand from GSIS that an analysis of GSIS? system problem has already been conducted and that the root cause of the data corruption has nothing to do with SAP software or its product support,? the company said in its statement.

Nevertheless, SAP said it is already providing technical assistance to all of the parties involved in the matter.

The GSIS, in a full-page open letter published in a local newspaper on May 26, accused IBM for failure to act on the system crashes it has been experiencing.

The agency quoted SAP as ?repeatedly? pointing to IBM?s DB2 as the cause of its systems crash.

Also identified in the open letter is systems integrator Questronix, which GSIS quoted to have also blamed IBM?s alleged flawed software for the crashes.

Questronix has yet to issue a statement.

Earlier this week, GSIS Chief Legal Counsel Atty. Estrella Elamparo insisted that IBM, through its IBM Laboratories in Canada, must deliver a ?special build,? a software patch intended to fix the agency?s frequent systems crash.

She also threatened to take legal action against IBM, adding that the frequent systems crashes are causing problems to the more than 1.5 million GSIS members.

IBM Philippines also reiterated to INQUIRER.NET late this week that it has no direct engagement with GSIS in the project.

IBM has said GSIS has no contractual agreement with them.