Firm which protested bidding wins contract for indelible ink

MANILA, Philippines - A bidder who questioned the integrity of the bidding conducted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the supply of indelible ink in the May polls has, ironically, won the contract.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said ASA Colors bagged the P73.2-million contract for the supply of 520,000 bottles of indelible ink.

Earlier, ASA Colors, which submitted the second lowest bid, expressed doubt on the integrity of the Comelec bidding.

ASA Colors complained that its rival bidder - the joint venture Centurian and Jedaric Chemicals - had offered a lower bid but its indelible ink was of poor quality and was easily removed by water and alcohol during testing. 

Based on the Notice of Procurement Opportunity released by Comelec’s Special Bids and Awards Committee, each bottle of ink should contain 15 ml.

The notice also required that the plastic bottle must be in one piece with dripper, with or without nozzle. The dripper or nozzle should be permanently attached to the bottle so that it cannot be removed without breaking the bottle itself to ensure no adulteration can occur before its issuance to the Board of Election Inspectors.

It further stated that the ink “must contain at least seven percent silver nitrate with commassie blue or blue dye, not more that 1.7 percent of other additives and solvents.”

The ink should not be erased from the voter’s nail when applied with solvents like ethyl alcohol, benzene, gasoline, soap, oxalic acid, bleaching solution, acetone, lacquer thinner, brake fluid, ascorbic acid, water and kerosene.

To avoid dripping during packing and delivery to polling centers, each bottle of ink should have top cover or cap.