MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has posted its contract with a technology consortium to automate the 2010 elections on its website to show transparency, officials said.

“Making the poll automation contract available to everyone online shows our policy of transparency, even in the operationalization of the contract,” Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento told INQUIRER.net.

The Comelec signed its P7.2-billion contract with partner firms Smartmatic and Total Information Management (TIM) last Friday, after the two companies patched up their differences.

In a separate interview, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez urged the public to also visit the poll body’s voter’s education blog.

A group of concerned citizens has asked the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order on the agreement, citing alleged violations of procurement laws.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court asked Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM to comment on the protest and said it would schedule oral arguments on the case.

“At any rate, Comelec has been transparent from the very start and Comelec is ready to defend the poll automation contract,” Sarmiento said.

Anna Valmero