Ex-lawmaker Erice again asks SC to void Comelec-Miru contract

Former lawmaker Edgar Erice again asks Supreme Court to declare null and void the contract between Comelec and South Korean firm Miru following the withdrawal of its local partner @gmanews pic.twitter.com/v2iWIOzVi9

— Joahna Lei Casilao (@joahnacasilao) November 14, 2024

Former lawmaker Edgar Erice on Thursday again asked the Supreme Court (SC) to declare null and void the contract between the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and South Korean firm Miru following the withdrawal of the latter's local partner.

In a supplement to an earlier petition, Erice again sought a temporary restraining order or a writ of preliminary injunction to stop the poll body from implementing En Banc Minute Resolution No. 24-0114, which awarded the project to Miru.

He also asked for the notice of award and the contract agreement between them to be declared null and void.

This came after St. Timothy, the local financier of Miru, withdrew from the joint venture.

“To allow the continuous implementation of the Contract St. Timothy, without the Filipino partner from whom the bulk of the funds will be sourced is akin to awarding and implementing a project with an entity ineligible to bid to begin with,” the petition read.

“Simply put, the existence of St. Timothy in the Joint Venture was instrumental to the award of the Contract to the Joint Venture. The withdrawal of St. Timothy from the Joint Venture dissolves the latter,” it added.

When sought for comment, Comelec chairperson George Garcia said the poll body will focus on the upcoming elections. 

“We will just focus on our preparations for the super election year. A lot still has to be done,” he said in a message to GMA News Online.

Comelec chairperson George Garcia, for his part, previously said the withdrawal will have no effect as St. Timothy only handles the credit line.

The poll body chairperson said the two other Filipino firms in the JV were Integrated Computer Systems (ICS) and Centerpoint Solutions Technologies, Inc. committed to comply with the Net Financial Contracting Capacity (NFCC).

The NFCC is a compliance document needed as part of the procurement process, according to the Comelec.

In October, Miru said it submitted a new NFCC to the Comelec. — RSJ/ VAL, GMA Integrated News