Congress-led inventory of PCOS machines sought

MANILA, Philippines - An administration lawmaker sought yesterday a Congress-led physical and technical inventory (PTI) of the more than 80,000 precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines before they are used in the 2016 elections.

Palawan Rep. Douglas Hagedorn made the call as some non-government organizations and information technology groups asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to consider cheaper and reliable technologies in automating the 2016 polls.

The lawmaker said the credibility and integrity of the results of the local, senatorial and presidential elections in 2016 would be defined by the outcome of the PTI as these would reflect the actual number, poll-worthiness and readiness of PCOS machines for the upcoming polls.

“Definitely, the PTI of the more than 80,000 PCOS machines will expose the ghosts and mysteries tied to frauds committed in 2013 elections,” Hagedorn said.

He said Comelec Chairman Sixto Brilliantes should brace for the expected faults and discrepancies that would be uncovered in the PTI as well as questions on his “alleged strange bias toward a company,” apparently referring to Smartmatic, the supplier of the PCOS machines.

“Brillantes must know that Smartmatic did not manufacture the PCOS machines. Moreover, it did not handle technical processes in 2010 and 2013 polls,” he said.

In the 2010 polls, it was Power Serve Inc., a lessee of a PCOS warehouse in Cabuyao City, which undertook technical, production, memory configuration and warehousing operations.

Brillantes earler said the Comelec plans to reuse the old PCOS machines for the 2016 elections.