CONTROVERSIAL technology provider Smarmatic Corp. may have donated to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) a total of 1.1 million rolls of thermal paper that were used as voter’s  receipt in the last elections, but in return it is asking  an additional payment of P107.125 million for manpower expenses.

In a letter to Senior Commissioner Robert Christian Lim, dated April 29, 2016 or 10 days before the May 9 elections, Smartmatic explained that the amount was for technology infrastructure and reconfiguration, vote counting machine production, additional on-site expert support and for other miscellaneous such as additional consumable for the central canvassing system (CCS) and VCM’s production line.