A CITIZENS group on Monday asked the Supreme Court to stop the Commission on Elections from releasing payments to Smartmatic TIM Corp., the winner of the P7.2 billion contract to automate next year’s elections.
The Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), whose case questioning the awarding of the contract will be heard by the High Court on July 29, said Smartmatic TIM is expected to collect about P4 billion even before delivering the 82,200 Precinct Count Optical Scan machines that will be used in the elections.
VERA Files earlier estimated that the payments preceding the delivery of the machines will add up to close to P3 billion or 40 percent of the contract price.
The Comelec is scheduled to open with the Land Bank before the end of the month an irrevocable letter of credit from which Smartmatic TIM can draw payments when it meets “critical milestones” stipulated in the contract signed on July 10.
In filing an urgent motion to stay payment, the CCM said government would be at the losing end if payments were to be made to Smartmatic TIM and the Supreme Court would later void the contract.
“The payment could well be made with no tangible deliveries,” it also warned.