Malacanang On Thursday hailed the Supreme Court decision junking a petition to stop poll automation of the 2010 national elections. The petition was filed by the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) led by UP professor and lawyer Harry Roque Jr.
Earlier, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) likewise welcomed the decision after having been informed the majority of the High Court justices voted in favor of poll automation.
Based on reports, the Supreme Court voted 11-3 in favor of the P7.2-billion automation contract which Comelec awarded to the Smartmatic Corp., a joint venture of a Netherlands-based company and Total Information Management, Inc. (TIM), a Filipino owned firm.
The High Court is scheduled to release the decision this afternoon.
In a media briefing, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson for Economic Affairs Gary Olivar said: “Poll automation is one of the 10-point agenda of the President under the BEAT The ODDS. So I imagine this is a welcome development.”
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Anthony Golez added: “This is one obstacle on the road to automation”. He said the SC decision should be respected even as some quarters are said to be planning to file a motion for reconsideration. (PIA)
