THE Commission on Elections has turned over 97,366 units of Optical Mark Reader Machines and Election Management Systems, including accessories not purchased by the Commission, used in the May 9, 2016 National and Local Elections to poll technology provider Smartmatic-TIM.
In a statement, the Comelec said it has retained 151 units of OMR machines in view of a Resolution dated Nov. 22, 2016 issued by the Senate Electoral Tribunal.
The OMR was turned over last Nov. 29, 2016 despite a protest filed by former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
In a resolution dated Nov. 8, 2016, the Presidential Electoral Tribunal modified the Precautionary Protection Order such that election materials and paraphernalia used during the May 9, 2016 NLE, which do not contain election results data, as enumerated in the Commission’s Letter dated August 10, 2016, are excluded from the coverage of the PPO, the Comelec said.
The statement also said that the PET authorized the Comelec and Smartmatic to immediately conduct closure stripping activities for all Vote Counting Machines and Consolidation/Canvassing System kits provided prior notice to the tribunal, the parties, and other stakeholders.
“We officially turned over the leased goods to Smartmatic since the Commission en banc has already decided not to exercise its option to purchase,” Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said.
Under two contracts of lease with option to purchase entered into by the Comelec with Smartmatic, all goods subject thereof that are in the possession of Comelec as of Dec.1, 2016 shall be considered sold pursuant to Comelec’s option to purchase, he said.
