This is the sound of 1 billion pesos -- or an amount equivalent to the daily household income of 200,000 filipino families (or the daily cost-of-living allowance for all the people in Pasay City, Muntinlupa City, Mandaluyong City and Marikina City) -- down the drain:

Lazaro said the consortium should not be faulted if the Supreme Court found irregularities in the bidding process because it is the Comelec which is in charge.

“Did we violate any provision in the contract? The SC on technical matters principally accused Comelec of not following its own rules, so where did MegaPacific have a hand in that?” he asked.

Lazaro said MegaPacific could not be compelled to return the money since it has done its part of supplying the ACMs in good condition as prescribed in the contract with the poll body. “We gave all the machines and (they) are in the possession of the government up to this very day.”

Lazaro added, “The problem is since the government is not capable of restoring the machines in [their] virgin state, the demand for a refund is offline.”