Poll body Chairman Andres D. Bautista told lawmakers during a briefing at the House of Representatives that the Comelec en banc has already denied the pending appeals filed by two rival firms also vying for the P2.5-billion deal for the additional optical mark readers (OMRs). “The Comelec en banc ruled on the MR (motion for reconsideration) on 23,000 new OMRs. This is the green light for us to issue a notice of award to Smartmatic,” Mr. Bautista told members of the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms. Mr. Bautista had said in a July 14 briefing that the contract was not immediately awarded because of pending motions by rival providers, Indra Sistemas, S.A., and Miru Systems Co.
The contract to supply 23,000 machines previously saw Smartmatic-TIM disqualified twice by Comelec’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), which led to rebidding. But rebidding was suspended when commissioners overturned the BAC rulings, the second of which happened on June 30.
Indra Sistemas and Miru Systems both had expressed their intention to join the rebidding before it was suspended.
What is left to be settled, Mr. Bautista said, is whether the poll body would bid out the maintenance and repair contract for the existing 82,000 precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines leased from Smartmatic-TIM in 2010 and later on purchased by the government for the 2013 national elections.
Full Article: BusinessWorld | Comelec to award poll machine deal.