by Gerard Naval
Malaya
From the Inquirer: SC sees no need for a TRO on payments
Elections chair Jose Melo yesterday rejected the call of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) to withhold the initial payment to Smartmatic/Total Management Information for the 2010 poll automation contract saying it would be tantamount to the complete stoppage of the entire project.
“It’s almost like imposing a temporary restraining order on ourselves,” he told reporters.
“Why should we not pay them if they were able to deliver? They might not send their next deliverables if we don’t pay the previous deliverables,” Melo told reporters.
The group, led by UP Prof. Harry Roque last Monday asked the Supreme Court to stop the Comelec from releasing payments to Smartmatic/TIM saying the Philippine government stands to lose money if the High Court eventually nullifies the P7.2 billion automation contract.
The contract states the poll body will deposit in a bank the entire payment for the whole exercise.
It said Smartmatic/TIM can only withdraw the payments each time it delivers its goals and deliverables to the Comelec dubbed as “milestones”.
The Comelec’s calendar for the 2010 elections indicates that the first set of milestones – the “project initialization, set up project management team, and project systems including delivery of all software licenses and firmware” – is scheduled the end of the month with a payment amounting to 10 percent of the contract or about P720 million.
Melo said the poll body is putting up a project management office, to be headed by Comelec executive director Jose Tolentino.
Sen. Francis Escudero urged Smartmatic/TIM to proceed with the groundwork instead of insisting on a down payment of 40 percent from the Comelec or about P2.88 billion.
“We are losing more time. Smartmatic/TIM should be paying more attention as to how it intends to carry out its mandate of automating the elections as contained in the contract it signed with Comelec,” he said.
“Problems are now piling up and it does not look good for the consortium to insist on payment first without doing anything,” Escudero, co-chair of the congressional oversight committee on poll automation, said.
“It’s going to be a nightmare rolling out poll automation in one year. Now the real work should begin and this is what Smartmatic/TIM should be paying attention to, not billing,” he said.
Collect on delivery or cash on delivery (C.O.D.) should be the best option by the Comelec. Why pay in advance? There’s something fishy in the 40% initial payment. Anak ng jueteng, nasa drawing board pa lang eh’ may malaking bayad na.
Dapat may transparency ang signed contract na yan, upang maging maliwanag sa provisions ang mode of payment, during the partial and full delivery ng utomated machine.
Kailangan during delivery ng machine e may actual inspection kung kumpleto ba ang standard and optional accessories, pagkatapos nito yaong installation and commissioning, demonstration/training ng operation sa end-users, warranty period and finally the final payment ng buong package sa supplier.
Medyo highly technical ang transaction na ito, kaya dapat maging malinaw ang datos upang di sila paghinalaan ng bayan.
Malaking pera ang usapang ito, at di pwedeng isa walang bahala sapagka’t marami na tayong lessons sa rehime na puro palpak ang project nila na nauuwi lang sa kurapsyon.
Kung ako sa iyo Mr. Melo, para wala nang usapan at tutal public issue ito e open the book…ipakita mo ang signed contract at yong provisions ng kontrata para wala ng marami pang usapan.
Tutal kahit na di nýo aminin na malaki ang tongpats dito e tinuldukan na ng mga Pinoy ang usaping ito, kaya pagbutihin nýo na lang ang trabaho sa 2010 or else accountable kayo sa magiging resulta ng eleksyon.
Honorable Melo, may we request from you about the previlage stated in our Constitution (Art.3, Sect.7), says; “The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized. Access to official records, and to documents, and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as to gov’t research data used as basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to such limitations as may be provided by law.”
Anumang issue particular sa transactions ng gubyerno e talagang kasama yan sa pag-uurirat ng taong-bayan, sapagka’t ang daming dapat pagtuunan ng rehime na resolbahin ang mga problema ng bayan e kung anu-anong controvertial projects ang kanilang pinapasok.
Wow, ipinagmalaki pa ang pangungupit! Susmaryosep!
Sinong niloloko ng mga unggoy e tradisyon na iyong mga padded bills!
Pihado sasabihin na naman noong mga kasabwat sa Audit office na namamahala ng mga ganitong transaction, di nila puedeng sabihin kung magkano ang nagastos, at ni di nila hinahalungkat kung magkano ang tinaga ng mga unggoy!
Kawawang bansa!
The projects themselves are not controversial. They only become controversial when gloria’s stupid, so-called government assumes a position disadvantageous to its own interests due mainly to patronage politics and/or the disappearances of sourced fundings for such projects due to the everyday business of nonchalant thievery, corruption, etc.
Para kay gloria, it is all economics, so to speak. Meaning,the business of corruption is like any other. She caters to the “needs” of those “in want” and pretty soon, these morons will crave for more…..which she willingly gives in exchange for their eternal loyalty. And sad to say, she had accomplished all that. Just look at all the parasites she has sustained for nine years. They would sell their own mothers for a chance to lick gloria’s ass.
Tama naman si Melo..bakit hindi nga babayaran..di wala siyang kupit..paano ang negosyo niya?
Kailangan na talagang bayaran ang Smartmatic/TIM. Paano kung pigilan pa ng Supreme Court, sayang naman ang kanilang mga tongpats. Kitang kita na nagsisipaglaway na sa kadatungan.
At sa oras na mabayaran ang mga yan, papipitpit ko agbols ng amo ni Senor Habib kung walang mangyayaring katakot takot na aberya. Delayed delivery of computers, kulang sa training ang mga teachers sa computer, kulang sa technical back up, etc. Then back to the normal abnormal situation. Manual garcification sprinkled by dagdag bawas with the guns, goons and gold dictating the results. At tayo, remember the old station ID of channel 7?
GMA…Where We Belong!
Of course Melo would defend it. Meloon siyang tongpats…
Hehehehe matandang Melo tumutongpatz pa. Istudyent yata yan ni Abalos. Kita niyo hanggang ngayon paborjer-borjer na lang si Abalos. Kailan kaya darating ang hukom sa mga taong ito??????
After all these years in business, this is the very first time that I’ve experienced that a company is being paid a MOBILIZATION FEE for the rental of machines. We in the construction business are familiar with that especially for infrastructure projects, the contractor needs to provide temporary facilities or “TEMPFACIL” to serve as field office, warehouse, sleeping barracks, conference room, etc., which will all later be destroyed or disassembled because these do not form part of the deliverables. Hence a 10% MOB/DEMOB FEE is allowed on any construction project.
But for a contract of supply/lease?
REview of contracts … i thought there are govt agencies that do this.. Is it NEDA? is it COA? or is it senate? They have got to say something about this. The contract is very disadvantageous to the govt, so what happens … wala pa ring mangyayari …dahil baka may “sec, may 200 ka diyan’ …
Anak ng kuwago. Wala bang tech guy sa COMELEC? Computerese na naman para manghilo ng tao.
Firmware is the software that comes with ALL tech hardware. The software that makes your DVD open and close at the touch of a button, the software that makes your cellphone ring, the software that makes your digital camera zoom at the touch of a button, lahat yan FIRMWARE;
Firmware is delivered with the hardware. You cannot deliver firmware without hardware; para bang, you cannot have music without an MP3 player, or CD player, or yung gurang like me, a turntable. Eh wala pa namang dini-deliver, so what firmware are they collecting on?
Yung license, ay suso ng tiyanak, gawa na yan. Bumili ka ng any software, halimbawa, yung CD mg Microsoft, yung legal ek-ek sa papel ng CD, yan ang license. Ano ang value added diyan, that merits 360 Million?
The license is delivered with the software, and the software is delivered with the hardware. You do not need to be a tech guy to know that you are being screwed.
You want a better explanation than mine, I’ll ask the guy from Chinatown, NY, with fractured English and no high school diploma, from whom I buy computer parts to explain in this blog. Maybe Chairman Melo can pay that guy consultancy fees. Ako, finder’s fee on the consultancy fees.
Sorry. Na-bold lahat, mali ang location ng tags.
Bawal mag-bold…baka huliin tayo ng MTRBC.
Oops, baka ako multuhin ni Professor Esteban Bautista.
License is the permission to use the software. Its manifestation is the legal writing on any CD.
Anyway, the permission can only be useful if you have the software, and concomitantly, the hardware on which it sits. Para bang, kung binigyan ka ni Steven Spielberg ng right to show his film, pero hindi binigay yung film, ano ang binili mo?
The license (right to show) given by Steven Spielberg is only meaningful if he gives you the movie. And the movie sits on a physical medium – the actual plastic film, where the images are stored. So kung walang phyical thing (hardware), walang software. Kung walang software, walang saysay ang license.
Dahil wala pang machines, wala pang software na na-deliver. Kung walang software, walang license (permission to use). Samkatuwid, bumili ang COMELEC ng multo.
As a former Associate Justice of the SC, Jose Melo is expected to act like one, decent, straight and law abiding. But his association with Gloria made him forget that once upon a time he was a preacher of justice and rule of law and became one of her mechanical boys. Comparing the company he has in his SC days one has to wonder why he now sits in a bench in the company of corrupts, cheats, liars and violators of the constitution.
Oh well I take that back because one has nothing to wonder about if its about money. Money is the root of all evils and he is just playing catch-up and while he has the chance and time will rake all whatever comes in his way. Garapalan na.
naku naman talaga, ini-engot ni melo ang tao!
sanxviolins, gusto ko yung paliwanag mo… sana mabasa ng mga idiots ng comelec, pati ng pinunong idiot (melo).
naglalaway na talaga ang mga yan. at lintek na korte suprema ng pilipinas kong mahal, ayaw mag-issue ng restraining order. oo nga naman, dati nilang kasamahan si melo, bekit nga naman aapihin ang dating kasapi?
hay naku…
The bottom line is, where is the money? Nasa mga bulsa na ng mga buwaya. Naisahan na naman si Juan ni boobuwit at ng kanyang mga ganid na alipores.
Smart-atik(pera di ba?)
OT: http://www.nymag.com/daily/fashion/2009/07/marc_jacobs_publicist_faces_ex.html
The publicist for Marc Jacobs’s men’s division, Tim Mark Garcia, faces plunder charges and extradition back to the Philippines. The Trump Park avenue condo purchased in Garcia’s name by his father was allegedly bought with stolen money. Former Armed Forced of the Philippines comptroller Major General Carlos F. Garcia is accused of stealing $6.2 million in public funds. The condo was bought for $765,000 in 2004. Garcia’s lawyer denies the charges.
Alam ninyo, habang tumatagal ay umaasenso ang mga aso.
Dati ay sobre sobre lamang ang paraan ng pagpapasa ng kaparte sa ninakaw, ngayon ay haytek na. Wala silang kahirap hirap.
Sobrang dalawang bilyong pisong pandagdag daw kung bibilhin kuno ang mga makinang matagal nang ginamit. Ululin nila ang mga tatay nila!
Huwag ninyong kalilimutan na si Melo ay implant din lamang ni Lola Dapangdede upang maging “maaayos” ang pamamalakad sa Comolect na kinabulilyasuhan ni Mr. Hamberjer.
nakakalungkot talaga minsan na sa karami-ramng kurakot ng gobyerno, wala nang tiwala ang mga tao sa lahat na bagay. tuloy, may mga taong hindi na nag-iisip at basta basta na lamang nagsasalita at nagbibintang.
madali magsabing may kumotong dito at may nagnakaw doon. pero kung ganun na lamang ang bukambibig ninyong lahat, papaano pa tayo aasenso? maghintay muna kayo at pakinggan ang kanilang depensa, bago kayo manghusga.
at pwede ba, saxnviolins, and sistema ng pangboboto ay hindi kasing-simple ng operating system mo sa bahay. nationwide ito at isa itong napakalaking operasyon. hindi lang naman yung machine ang bibihin ng comelec, kundi yung buong sistema ng pagpapagalaw sa buong bansa hanggang sa bawat sulok ng bawat probinsya sa pilipinas. sa tingin mo madali yun? aanhin mo yung mga gamit kung walang marunong gumamit? eh di magkakamutan na lang kayo dyan ng ulo.
ano, gusto nyo ba umasenso ang bansa o hindi? o lagi nalang kayo mambibintang at magpuputok ng butsi na wala namang ginagawa para sa bayan?
hindi ko sinasabing walang kotongan ang nangyari dito. hinihiling ko lamang na bago sana kayo magbunganga, kumuha muna kayo ng ebidensya, at lalong lalo na, intindihin niyo muna ang sitwayson. wag sana kayo magpadala sa mga pulitikong madulas ang dila. kung sabagay, hindi rin naman sila pabor sa automated elections dahil hindi na sila makakapag-dagdag bawas diba. pag-isipan muna mabuti at huwag lang basta basta lunukin ng buo ang mga panayam ng mga pulitiko ninyo.
Ang point ko lang, walang branded hardware firm na nagbebenta ng makina na walang firmware; whether it is a digital camera that you bought, a PC, or an MP3 player. It is not priced separately.
So you think sophisticated ang DRE machines dahil touch screen? Ikaw ang nagoyo ng COMELEC. Touchscreen din naman ang pag-order ng mga empleyado sa McDo or Jollibee. The only difference is that the choices are
1 longsilog (baboy),
2 chickenjoy (chick), or
3 palabok (spineless shrimp).
Sa elections, you choose
1. Pidal (sons)
2. Loren (chick)
3. Lapid (walang spine)
The touchscreens of the McDo also feed the totals to the central computer, so that inventory levels would be known, for restocking. Ibig nilang gayahin ang just-in-time inventory ng mga Japanese. It also tells the management the totals earned, as well as which items are more fast-moving.
You will tell me that the erection machines are more sophisticated? Spiritually, perhaps, because vote-fabrication is a sacred right. But if you only talk about the 1’s and 0’s that the machines process, mas sophisticated ang sistema ng McDo and the bank ATMs kaysa sa election machines.
Similarly, the ATM machines also have touchscreen; and they have more functions, including the physical counting of cash. No bank will tell you that setting up an ATM system for a one-time operation will cost 7.2 Billion. An ATM machine only costs $3,000. Purchase yan, hindi one-time arkila.
Now with respect to the 20 “development sets”, 360 million pesos divided by 20 yields, 18 Million pesos. That is equivalent to $375,000. An entry level cray computer only costs $25,000.
http://www.betanews.com/article/Cray-CX1-the-supercomputer-you-can-buy-online/1221597523
You’re telling me that an ordering machine [you order a president or senator, instead of spineless shrimp or pork (barrel)] will cost fifteen times more than a Cray computer?
Are you telling me that the price of one development set is equal to the price of a Rolls Royce?
http://www.automotive.com/new-cars/pricing/01/rolls-royce/index.html
And that price is separate from the “firmware”.
Have you seen how minuscule these “sophisticated machines are? The ones used in Venezuela were made by Olivetti. Here they are:
http://www.smartmatic.com/solutions/automated-election-system/single-view/article/voting-machines/
10.4 inch touchscreen? Malaki pa ang laptop screen mo di ba? Malaki pa ang touchscreen ng mga trabajadora sa McDo sa Harlem, NY.
Now about the “training”. You think it requires studious effort to train trainors for this touchscreen contraption? Kahit na hindi tapos sa high school na nognog kayang mag-cahera sa McDo with the touchscreen.
Finally, how much does a DRE machine cost, if purchased? It ranges from $2,500 to 3,500. Kung bulk sales na 80,000 tulad ng Pilipinas, marahil naman ay may discount.
http://votingmachines.procon.org/viewanswers.asp?questionID=000313
Yung arkila ng Pilipinas amounts to $1,875 for a one time use – 7.2 Billion pesos divided by 80,000 divided by 48 (exchange rate).
Ikaw ang umalam ng facts dahil ang gumoyo sa iyo ay old tricks called confusing the issues.
Galing mo, Saxnviolins!