Comelec to save P200 million using old ballot boxes

MANILA, Philippines - To save some P200 million in expenses for the 2013 polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is exerting all effort to reuse old ballot boxes that are still subject of an election protest.

“We are making representations with the SC for them to allow us to make use of the old ballot boxes used in 2010 because it would be a waste of money if we will manufacture new ones,” Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes said yesterday.

He said the commission could save as much as P200 million in the bidding as well as in the purchase of new ballot boxes if the High Court would grant their request.

“Otherwise, we will have to bid out again for the manufacture of new ones,” said Brillantes.

About 80,000 ballot boxes used in the 2010 elections are now under the custody of the Presidential Election Tribunal after then vice presidential candidate and now Transportation Secretary Manuel Roxas II questioned the results of the elections. He lost to Jejomar Binay.

But apart from the ballot boxes, Brillantes said the bidding for other materials needed for the 2013 polls is already in full blast.

He said they are in the process of opening the bid for all other necessary services such as configuration, transmission, ballot papers, technical support, ballot packaging, and deployment.