Smartmatic: ‘Old PCOS machines should not be reused’

MANILA, Philippines — The old precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines used during the first automated elections in the Philippines in 2010 should no longer be used in next year’s polls, according to voting technology service provider Smartmatic.

In a recent interview with The STAR, Smartmatic vice president for global services Elie Moreno said he would not recommend using the PCOS machines again as the government did not conduct annual maintenance and repairs on the units.

“I would not advise using the PCOS machines again. Our machines can last for years but of course, you have to do some maintenance,” Moreno said.

In 2010, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) entered into a P7.9-billion contract with London-based Smartmatic to lease more than 82,000 units of PCOS machines for the country’s first automated polls. 

Due to lack of funds to buy new vote counting machines (VCMs) for the 2016 presidential polls, the Comelec exercised its option-to-purchase clause and acquired all 81,896 units of PCOS machines for P1.8 billion.

Instead of reusing the PCOS machines in the 2016 polls, the Comelec opted to lease 90,000-plus VCMs from Smartmatic due to lack of time to refurbish the former.

The PCOS machines have been stored at the Comelec warehouse in Laguna after the 2016 polls.

Moreno said Belgium procured Smartmatic’s direct recording electronic (DRE) voting machines in 2012 and reused it in succeeding elections.

He added that Belgium conducted regular maintenance on the DRE machines every year even if there were no scheduled elections. 

Moreno said it is advisable to buy new VCMs every election to get the latest technology but this would be too expensive.

He said leasing VCMs is a good option with tight budget because “after one or two years, you can return the units.”

“If you want the latest voting technology, you can lease every election. In cost effectiveness, you can have your own machines and use it several times but you have to maintain it,” he added.  

For the 2019 midterm polls, the Comelec will reuse the over 97,000 VCMs it leased from Smartmatic for P8.1 billion in the 2013 elections.

The poll body procured the VCMs worth P2.1 billion.