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Manufacturing of machines for May polls 100% finished


Smartmatic-TIM, the consortium that will automate the May 10 elections, on Tuesday said it has finally finished manufacturing the 82,200 Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines that would be used in the polls. In a text message to reporters, Smartmatic spokesperson Gene Gregorio said there are already 28,900 PCOS units being stored in the consortium's warehouse in Cabuyao, Laguna. He said 7,200 poll machines are just awaiting release from the Bureau of Customs; 8,000 in transit; and 38,100 already in the hands of forwarders. The machines were manufactured in Suzhou, China. Earlier, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said that there was a one-month delay in the delivery of the PCOS because of the case filed by the group Concerned Citizens’ Movement (CCM) against the poll body. The CCM filed a case with the Supreme Court asking the tribunal to void the allegedly illegal P7.2-million poll automation contract between Smartmatic/TIM and the Comelec. The court ruled in favor of Comelec. Smartmatic-TIM then promised to initially deliver 42,200 PCOS units by the end of November. Thee scheduled delivery was, however, moved to December. By the end of 2009, only 7,200 units were delivered due to costly shipping and traffic problems during the holiday season, according to the Comelec. Melo said Smartmatic-TIM has since committed to deliver about 9,600 machines weekly. The poll body chief said that as stated in their contract with Smartmatic-TIM, the consortium should deliver all the poll machines before February 28. But Gregorio said that they expect to deliver all the machines one week earlier than the deadline. The supplier will be forced to pay a P7.5-million fine for every single day it misses the deadline, said Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal. - Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV

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