Poll body junks MR filed by bidder for PCOS repair

MANILA, Philippines - The search continues for the most efficient voting system for next year’s polls after a Commission on Elections (Comelec) special bids and awards committee rejected a motion for reconsideration filed by a consortium earlier disqualified from bidding for the contract to refurbish precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines.

In Resolution No. 002 dated Aug. 5, the Comelec-Special Bids and Awards Committee-2 (SBAC-2) denied the motion for reconsideration of the joint venture of Dermalog Identifications System, Avante International and Stone of David Technical Equipment.

The joint venture emerged as “sole bidder” for the P3.13-billion project to refurbish 81,897 PCOS machines after its two rivals, Smartmatic-Total Information Management Corp. and Miru Systems Co., backed out during public bidding for the contract last Aug. 1.

But SBAC-2 disqualified the Dermalog joint venture for failing to satisfy four technical and eligibility requirements. The joint venture appealed its disqualification through a motion for reconsideration.

In its resolution, SBAC-2 said joint venture was still not compliant with the requirements.

“Premises considered, the motion for reconsideration is hereby denied,” SBAC-2 said.

The Comelec is expected on Tuesday to decide on which voting system to use in the 2016 presidential polls.

The poll body is eyeing whether to refurbish all of the PCOS machines either through negotiated or direct contracting or to lease new optical mark reader (OMR) machines.

The other option, as recommended by the multi-sector Comelec Advisory Committee, is to use some of the refurbished PCOS machines and some of the 70,977 OMR machines to be leased for the coming elections.

The Comelec had already awarded the contract to supply some 23,000 OMR machines to Smartmatic-TIM. The units are intended to supplement whichever voting system is chosen by the poll body.