2010 voting automation still cooking

Manila, Philippines--- Voting automation in 2010 would push through even with the disqualification of companies bidding to provide automated counting machines (ACMs), according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday.

Comelec Chairman Jose Melo dumped appeals to consider partial automation or use P1.2 billion worth of ACMs purchased from the controversial Mega Pacific Consortium (MPC) for the 2004 polls.

Due to various deficiencies, the Comelec last week denounced the bids of all seven foreign and local bidders to supply machines for the automated poll.

Melo stated that the Comelec has not yet declared a failure of bidding and that there is still time for automating the polls.

“We have not yet reached a situation where we would opt for partial automation. We have yet to declare a failed bidding,” he stated.

Melo said the poll body would only opt for partial automation if the winning bidder would tell them that they do not have the time to produce the necessary 80,000 automated machines.

Lawyer Romulo Macalintal, election counsel of President Arroyo, yesterday told the the Comelec to consider using the ACMs purchased from the MPC in its aim of automating the 2010 general voting.

“This is the time for the Comelec to ask the Supreme Court to set aside all legal technicalities and yield to what is practical and economically viable under the present crisis where the much awaited poll automation is in peril. This is the best remedy to answer the call to start even a partial poll automation in our country,” he said through a statement.

The Supreme Court (SC) halted the use of 1,991 ACMs bought from the MPC on 2004 only on the ground that they were “illegally procured and improvidently paid by the Comelec,” as he was quoted as saying.

Paula Isaiah L. Panganiban