Withdrawal of St. Timothy on joint venture no effect on Eleksyon 2025 — Comelec

The withdrawal of the local financier of South Korean firm Miru Systems in the joint venture (JV)  for Eleksyon 2025 has no effect on the upcoming polls, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“Wala itong epekto sa atin sapagkat sa tatlong Filipino partners ng Miru Systems, ang St. Timothy Construction Corporation (STCC) ang in charge sa credit line. ‘Yung tinatawag na garantiya na kung saka-sakaling may pang-finance sila sa pangangailangan,”  Comelec chairperson Garcia told dzBB Super Radyo.

(This will not affect us because St. Timothy Construction Corporation, one of the three Filipino partners of Miru Systems, handles the credit line.)

On Thursday, Comelec announced that STCC — which provided the Net Financial Contracting Capacity (NFCC) —  has withdrawn from the Miru-led joint venture as some of its alleged owners expressed intent to run for national and local positions.

Garcia said the poll body provided them with two options: for the particular partner to withdraw from the JV or for certain candidates to be disqualified due to conflict of interest, with STCC opting for the former.

“Sa kasalukuyan, naka- 50% na ng delivery ng makina. Pinangako ng Miru na sa halip na December mamatapos ang kabuuan ng 110,000 na makina, hopefully madeliver ng 2nd week ng November ang lahat ng commitment,” he said.

(Currently, 50% of the machine delivery has been completed. Miru has promised that instead of December, the entire 110,000 machines will be finished, hopefully delivering all commitments by the second week of November.)

Miru completed the delivery of the required election paraphernalia for the 2025 midterm elections. The company also committed to delivering 110,000 automated counting machines (ACMs) by the second week of November.

Meanwhile, the remaining obligations under the P17.99 billion contract were the remaining 50% of the ACMs, the construction of 110 repair hubs, and the training of technicians to be deployed in polling precincts nationwide.

“Walang problema so long as nandyan ang commitment nang natitirang joint partners na kaya pa nilang punuan ang lahat ng kabuuan nang natitirang kontrata,” Garcia said.

(We will have no problem in the elections as long as the remaining joint partners commit to fulfill the entire remaining contract.)

The two other Filipino firms in the JV were Integrated Computer Systems (ICS) and Centerpoint Solutions Technologies, Inc.

Both companies committed to comply with the NFCC should the STCC’s withdrawal be approved, said Garcia.

“Parang nabunutan pa kami ng tinik…sapagkat ‘yung presensya ng construction company ay isa sa binabato sa kontrata na pinasok namin,” he added.

(We were relieved because the presence of the construction company was one of the things we were hitting against in the contract we entered.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News