CEBU CITY, Philippines -- The Aboitiz Group on Friday denied any personal or professional relationship between members of the Aboitiz clan and the head of the Total Information Management Corp. (TIM) and stressed that its participation in the poll automation project of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) was purely a business transaction.

"The extent of the Aboitiz Group's involvement in the Comelec automation project, including its relationship with Smartmatic/TIM (Total Information Management Corp.), is solely that of a cargo delivery contractor," the Aboitiz Group said in a statement issued Friday by Carol Ballesteros, assistant vice president for branding and corporate communications.

The 2Go, the total supply chain solutions unit of the Aboitiz Transport System Corp. and a member of the Aboitiz Group, has won the contract for the delivery of 82,200 counting machines that would be used in the 2010 elections.

"As part of its regular business initiatives, 2Go submitted proposals to several bidders participating in the Comelec's Automation of the May 10 synchronized national and local elections including Smartmatic/TIM, for their nationwide logistics requirement," it said.

The Aboitiz Group also denied the allegations of Bayan Muna partylist Representative Teodoro Casiño that Julio, a brother of Jose Mari Antuñez, head of TIM, was married to a scion of the Aboitiz family.

"Contrary to reports, there is no relationship by blood or marriage between the Aboitiz family and the family of Jose Mari Antuñez," Ballesteros stated in the brief company statement.

Partners Smartmatic and TIM patched up their differences on Friday, paving the way for the automation of the 2010 elections. Filipino firm TIM, earlier this week, said it was backing out of the partnership.