MegaPacific offers to sell ACMs for ’07 polls

With the use of the controversial automated counting machines definitely ruled out, the MegaPacific consortium is now offering to provide a similar technology for the coming 2007 midterm elections.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Education and Information Division director James Jimenez said MegaPacific eSolutions was among five firms that presented its technology.

They were presented before the advisory council that was tasked to assess which machines could be used in next year’s polls.

Jimenez said MegaPacific is offering to supply Comelec with machines that the consortium claims can carry out counting and canvassing functions.

"Mega acific is trying again to supply machines for the 2007 polls. Although similar, the technology they are offering is not the same machines sold to us in 2004," he said.

Jimenez clarified that the Comelec is no longer interested in using the machines previously sold by MegaPacific because the Supreme Court has already ruled with finality against their use.

"As far as the 2004 machines are concerned, we are no longer interested. If anything, the Comelec is only concerned (with recovering) the money paid for those machines," he said.

Jimenez said that should the council consider using the new machines offered by MegaPacific, it would be under an entirely different contract.

"But we would like to make it clear that we are open to all possible technologies. If MegaPacific wants to make an offer, it is their right, but we are not favoring anyone here," he said.

Aside from MegaPacific, Jimenez said the other firms that have presented their technologies to the advisory council are Mega Data Corp., Crimson Logic, HP/Scytl and ESNS.

He said about 13 technology firms have actually offered to sell machines to the Comelec but only five companies so far were able to present their technologies to the council.

According to Jimenez, the Comelec is actually looking for a technology that can carry out end-to-end poll automation, which covers voting, counting, canvassing, electronic transmission and recount.

"We are trying our best to implement full poll automation as provided under the amendments approved by the bicameral committee despite the limited time but if we can’t, the Comelec is pushing through with electronic transmission," he said.

Most of the firms have offered to provide technologies for electronic transmission, while only two companies have machines that can carry out end-to-end automation.

The council will choose the machines and submit their recommendation to the Comelec for approval. However, the amendment to the poll automation law — which would cover the 2007 polls — has yet to be passed.