Poll watchdog wants probe to focus on Comelec ‘pabaon’ A poll watchdog protesting what it alleged as sweetheart deals between the Commission on Elections and elections technology reseller Smartmatic Corp. sought yesterday a thorough investigation of reports that money changed hands to ensure the award of contracts to the Venezuelan vendor of the Precint Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines. The Citizens for Clean and Credible Elections (C3E) asked that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee (JCOC) which is investigating PCOS anomalies and the unanswered questions on discrepancies in PCOS results give more weight to reports that millions in bribe money went to top Comelec officials in exchange for the P1.2 billion contract to refurbish the PCOS machines and another contract worth P800 million to upgrade the same machines for the 2016 elections. During a hearing of the JCOC on December 4, Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim and Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, who is JCOC co-chairman, mentioned several times the word “pabaon” (farewell gift) as the hearing delved into the contracts that the Comelec, under the leadership of chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. who is retiring next week, are bent on awarding to Smartmatic. The word pabaon became notorious during the Senate investigations on anomalies in the (AFP) involving retiring heads of the different AFP commands receiving millions of pesos in parting gifts that came from soldiers’ welfare funds. While clarifying that the actual award of contracts for purchases in the 2016 polls will come after the retirement of Brillantes, Pimentel asked what issues seemed to be bugging the poll body in preparing for the elections. “Meaning to say, when you say Notice of Award, therefore, the chairman who will sign the contract will be the new chairman of the COMELEC?,” Pimentel asked the Comelec officials. “Yes, Your Honor,” was the reply of Commissioner Lim. To this, Pimentel asked again: “Iyon naman pala (So if that’s the case), what’s the issue?” “Pabaon daw ho (It’s a farewell gift),” Lim answered. “So you’re categorically stating that?” Pimentel added. “Yes, Your Honor, iyon ang aking tinutumbok (that is what I want to point out) actually,” Lim said. Pabaon is Filipino term for farewell gift. Its mention several times in the hearing, C3E insisted, is reason enough to be alarmed at the barefaced attempt by some Comelec officials to reward themselves with the so-called golden parachute for their retirement. “2016 is crucial because we elect a new President that year,” C3E co-convenor lawyer Melchor Magdamo, said. “Do we entrust it to a service provider whose only qualification to conduct the elections for the Filipino people is that it bribed the Comelec?” he asked. “It’s our duty as citizens to stop this frightening scenario in which we would entrust the selection of our leaders to machines that have been proven to deliver inaccurate results and whose operators have refused to clear the air, much less be transparent in its dealings with the Comelec,” he also said. It was also during the discussion on the “pabaon” that Brillantes perjured himself when he claimed that he and two other commissioners were no longer participating in the deliberations of the poll body in deciding on matters related to preparations for the elections. Brillantes told the committee: “For the record, hindi na ho kami sumasali sa (we did not take part in the) deliberations. (It was all with the) steering committee. Four of them. We three are quite old already. We don’t participate anymore.” Magdamo, also a former Comelec lawyer, said Brillantes’ claim was a blatant lie. “He lied through his teeth before the joint committee,” he said. Magdamo said Resolution 9922 of the Comelec en banc clearly showed that Brillantes lied about not participating anymore in deliberations on the PCOS machines and Smartmatic. The resolution, promulgated with secrecy on December 23, approved by a 5-2 vote the extended warranty agreement between Smartmatic and the Comelec for a P300 million diagnostic inspection of 82,000 PCOS machines. Brillantes, along with outgoing Commissioners Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph, voted in favor of the negotiated contract along with Lim and Al Parreno. Commissioners Arthur Lim and Luie Tito Guia voted against the deal. The Comelec action was widely assailed by watchdog groups, IT experts, Church and religious leaders, non government organizations, civic groups, and people’s organizations for being a suspicious “midnight deal” between the poll body and reseller Smartmatic. “How can he say he was not participating anymore when the resolution showed he actively took part in the act of practically gifting Smartmatic with the entire P2-billion project package before Christmas?” said Magdamo. Magdamo also asked Senator Aquilino Pimentel III and Rep. Senen Sarmiento, co-chairs of the joint congressional committee, to cite Brillantes in contempt. “Brillantes testified under oath and that oath did not mean anything to him,” said Magdamo.” tribune.net.ph/headlines/poll-watchdog-wants-probe-to-focus-on-comelec-pabaon
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 00:15:41 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015