Comelec: We'll deal with Smartmatic later

Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM), the technology provider for the country’s first ever nationwide automated elections on May 10, will not be penalized – at least for now – despite the reported glitches in some of their election machines. "Those who are liable will be held liable. Those who are negligent will be held accountable. But for now, let us work together to ensure that the elections will work on May 10, 2010," said Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal at a press briefing on Wednesday. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said they have to focus first at the task at hand. "First order of business is to get this going, best to get the elections over and done with and then settle accounts [later]," he told GMANews.TV in a text message. He said there is enough time after the elections to discuss the possible liabilities of Smartmatic-TIM. The officials gave the statement after some precinct count optical scan (PCOS) units that were tested last Monday failed to read some votes accurately, forcing them to pull out all the compact flash (CF) cards in the voting machines. Smartmatic-TIM took responsibility for the glitches. At a separate briefing on Wednesday, militant party-list Bayan Muna alleged that an official of Smartmatic had already fled the country. This was denied by the firm’s head in Asia. “We are committed to pull this through. We're not going anywhere. We’re not leaving this country," said Smartmatic Asia president Cesar Flores while assuring that they would not abandon the automation project after encountering several technological problems. Flores said he himself has no plans of leaving until the elections are over. “If you want my passport I can give it to you," he said. Smartmatic spokesman Gene Gregorio said all their officials are still in the country. “Our people are there in Cabuyao, subsisting on coffee," he told GMANews.TV in an interview. - GMANews.TV