Bidding for 2013 election materials fails

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) could still wait a little longer before they could purchase all the necessary materials for the May 2013 elections, after the failed public biddings for the purchase of compact flash (CF) cards and rechargeable batteries for the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines.

In a resolution, the Comelec’s Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) declared a failure of bidding because there were no bidders for the CF cards.

“There being no bids received for the CF cards - Main and CF cards - Worm, the SBAC hereby declares a failure of bidding (in Lot 4A and in Lot 4B),” said SBAC in the seven-page resolution.

The Comelec had earlier allocated P93 million to purchase the compact flash cards.

In the last 2010 polls, 76,000 CF cards supplied by the Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM) Corp. were pulled out due to glitches in the final testing and sealing of the PCOS machines.

The CF cards are the ones placed in the PCOS machines carrying instructions on how to process the ballot readings as well as store ballot images.

At the same time, SBAC also declared a failure in the bidding of the external rechargeable batteries for the PCOS machines.

“The lone bid in the External Rechargeable Batteries failed to comply with the bid requirements by being non-responsive, the SBAC declares a failure of bidding for Lot 4F,” SBAC explained.

The poll body allocated P152.5 million for the purchase of the external rechargeable batteries.

The SBAC, on the other hand, announced that they have already identified the bidders with the lowest calculated bids for the thermal papers, marking pens, and toners.

The SBAC said the Joint Venture of SPH Int’l Corp. and Advance Paper Corp. submitted the lowest bid for thermal papers at P36.875 million and for marking pens at P27.355 million.

The Optimal Systems Distribution, Inc. also got the lowest calculated bid for toners at P9.776 million.

Bidders with the lowest calculated offer would be subjected to post qualification evaluations for the verification and validation of all statements made and documents submitted.