8 foreign firms eye bid for poll automation project

Eight foreign companies, together with their local partners, are expected to tender bids to supply counting machines for the automated national and local elections in 2004, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said yesterday.

The Comelec has a budget of P1.1 billion for the automation of the 2004 polls. Some 2,000 counting machines are needed for the project, part of the overall program of the poll body’s modernization program.

The manufacturers that expressed interest in the automation project are Data and Research Services, Election Systems and Software, Indra Systems, Lava Technologies, Provi Inc., Sirex, Surveys International, and Total Information Management Corp. They are based in the US, Britain and Spain.

"We requested information from manufacturers and suppliers of counting machines worldwide. Out of the 11 known companies that we contacted, eight replied," Comelec director Mamasapunod Aguam said.

The companies have been requested to submit technical and financial proposals for the project. Under Comelec rules, all bidders are required to have a partner in the Philippines.

"Bidding has been tentatively set for May 3. Hopefully the project can be awarded on Oct. 25," Aguam said.

Aguam said their technical committee is studying the possibility of acquiring both fast counting machines and slow counting machines.

The fast machines can count an average 150 ballots per minute while the slower ones average 150.

Aguam said that in areas with few voters, slow counting machines will be sufficient. Slow machines cost $5,000 each while the faster ones cost $15,000.

The Comelec modernization program has a total budget of P2.3 billion. However, the P1.2 billion has been allotted for the Voters Registration and Identification System (VRIS) – a project currently on hold because of a court case.

Cost of the VRIS, which involves the cleansing of the electoral data base, is P6.5 billion.

Aguam stressed that the allocation of P1.1 billion for the counting machines will not violate any order by the court.

"The Commission believes that we can proceed with the automation and counting. With respect to the registration, however, we cannot. Of course, we can update our existing CVL (certified voters’ list)," Aguam said.

He pointed out that the technical committee will be deciding on whether to purchase the machines or rent them.

"We have some technical people from the private sector, as well as a procurement group and an investment group, who are weighing both options," Aguam said.