'No delay in Comelec timetable despite transfer of poll machine production to China'

MALOLOS CITY , Philippines  — The transfer of the venue for the production of Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines will not affect the timetable for poll automation of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), a ranking election official said.

Commissioner Armando Velasco confirmed last Friday that the venue for the production of PCOS machines that will be used in the 2010 presidential elections has been moved from Taiwan to China.

He, however, said this will not affect the timetable of the Comelec.

“It’s just a change of venue, and there’s no problem with that,” Velasco said in a telephone interview.

He explained that the manufacturer of the PCOS machines needed a larger area for the production, thus the transfer to China.

But there are also reports that Taiwan-based Jari-Tech, the sub-contractor for the manufacture of at least 82,000 PCOS machines, was dropped by Smartmatic-TIM after their plant was allegedly damaged by a typhoon.

Meantime, Miguel Avila of Smartmatic-Total Information Management consortium declined to comment on the perceived problems in the manufacture of automated counting machines.

“I am not aware of it. I still have to consult with our spokesperson,” said Avila who led the demonstration of an ACM before journalists who participated in a three-day workshop organized by the Philippine Press Institute in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental from Oct. 19 to 21.

Velasco also confirmed that the Comelec has already released 10 percent of the P11-billion budget for the automated elections to Smartmatic-TIM.

“It is in the contract and the consortium needs the fund to be able to deliver essential services,” he said.  

Velasco earlier said that they have not released money to Smartmatic-TIM as they were still waiting for the decision of the Supreme Court on the petition filed by lawyer Harry Roque that seeks to stop the automated elections.