Comelec paid Smartmatic bulk of total deal cost 05/18/2010

Comelec paid Smartmatic bulk of total deal cost 05/18/2010 Despite the reported delays in the delivery of voting machines and glitches in the performance of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS), poll automation provider Smartmatic-TIM has collected 80 percent, or more than P5 billion, of the P7.2-billion automation contract. The Commission on Elections (Comelec), however, stressed that the electoral body has yet to decide when to pay the remaining P1.4-billion to P2.16-billion balance. Speaker Prospero Nograles the other day asked that payment be withheld “until such time as the Congress oversight joint committee can give the public a clean bill of health about the first automated polls.” According to Commissioner Lucenito Tagle, the payment for the leased PCOS machines that were used in the last May 10 polls was done through milestone reports. “It’s not yet fully paid because its based on milestones but roughly it could be around P5 billion,” Tagle said in an interview. Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, for his part, said they still owe Smartmatic around 20 to 30 percent or between P1.4 billion and P2.16 billion considering that the elections had been completed. “They have not yet been fully paid. There’s a procedure for them to be paid certain amounts. There are milestones for that. The reports will be the basis for us to consider paying them,” he added....MORE   Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100518hed3.html