MANILA, Philippines - Despite the uncertainty of whether the Oct. 23 barangay polls will push through, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has started the bidding process for the needed supplies.
In its Invitation to Bid, the Comelec Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) said P164,389,542.14 had been allocated for the purchase of supplies to be used in the coming manual elections.
“The BAC now invites bids for the supply and delivery of various supplies for the 2017 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSKE) elections,” the BAC noted.
Up for bidding are 2,311,440 ball pens (P4.19/piece); 429,394 pieces of plastic security seal for ballot box (P8.76/piece); 372,340 pieces of fingerprint taker (P8.61/piece); 356,648 bottles of indelible ink (P88.79/bottle); 2,162,010 pieces of ballot secrecy folder (P4.79/piece); 189,793 pieces of padlock with key (P139.02/piece); and 15,446 boxes of continuous forms for voters’ list (P1,352.40/box).
Also being bidded out are 28,292 boxes of bond paper A4 with Comelec phantom mark (P201.99/box); 1,143 bundles of kraft paper (P1,316.70/bundle); 1,684 (CF) reams (P7,098.00/ream), 1,693 (CB) reams (P6,937.00/ream), 1,524 (CFB) reams (P11,755.80/ream) of carbonless papers; 8,945 pieces of Lexmark 2400 series/2581 ribbons (P836.85/piece); 1,714 pieces of Pearl 350 ribbons (P435.75/piece); and 4,351 pieces of Epson FX 2190 toners (P315.99/piece).
The Comelec-BAC added that bids received in excess of the approved budget for each item shall be automatically rejected.
The BAC is set to hold a pre-bid conference for all prospective bidders on April 3 at 10 a.m. at the Comelec Session Hall located at the Palacio del Gobernador building in Intramuros, Manila.
The bid opening shall be on April 17 at 10 a.m. at the Comelec Session Hall in the presence of the bidders’ representatives.
Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said they could not slow down in the preparations for the barangay election since they still do not have a “clear idea” if it will be held or not on Oct. 23.
Bautista added while they could proceed with the bidding, they could withhold the awarding of contracts until there is a formal decision from Congress.
He gave assurance that Comelec would inform interested bidders of the situation.
PDP-Laban: Beware of tricksters
The ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) warned the public yesterday on the activities of criminals claiming to be able to secure appointments of barangay officials for a fee.
Benito Ranque, PDP-Laban deputy secretary general, said there were reports that conmen scouting for possible victims who want to be appointed barangay chairmen or kagawads even before a law is passed to allow President Duterte to remove and appoint village officials.
“PDP-Laban will not allow any individual or group to seek or get any position of public trust,” Ranque said.
He urged the public to be vigilant and report to the police or local PDP-Laban officials any person or group that is making the rounds in their communities and offering their services to secure appointments for barangay posts.
Ranque said he would also ask Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, president of PDP-Laban, to incorporate educational qualification as among the criteria for appointment to barangay posts.
He said under the 1987 Constitution, the only qualification for an elective post is that the candidate should be able to read and write.
“I will recommend that educational qualification must be included for the effective delivery of public services at the grassroots level,” he said.
Ranque said a barangay chairman practically performs the job of an executive, judiciary as head of lupon and law enforcement as head of the barangay tanods in their localities.
Meanwhile, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri proposed the relaxing of procedures under the Local Government Code regarding the removal of erring barangay officials who are facing drug-related offenses.
He said the appointment of barangay officials would be controversial and difficult.
While he supports the postponement of barangay elections, Zubiri said that instead of appointing barangay officials, he would rather the procedures under the Local Government Code be relaxed to remove erring barangay officials who have pending drug cases filed in proper courts.
“But not the wholesale removal, For me, it’s a bit controversial. I don’t mind the postponement, but the appointment is difficult,” Zubiri told employees of the Negros Occidental provincial government during a gathering at the SMX Convention Center in Bacolod City.
President Duterte said that about 40 percent of barangay officials in the country have been involved in the illegal drug trade.
Duterte wants to postpone the barangay election, stressing that the outcome may be influenced by drug financiers.
Sen. Bam Aquino, who spoke at the graduation rites of Carlos Hilado Memorial State College in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, stressed the need to verify the source of data and its basis, noting that many lists of officials involved in illegal drugs have come out from different government agencies.
Aquino said that if ever the barangay election is postponed, “maybe we will keep them on holdover status, which is allowed in our laws.”
– With Perseus Echeminada, Gilbert Bayoran