Newly appointed Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chairman Andres Bautista (left) and commissioner Rowena Guanzon face the media at the COMELEC office in Intramuros, Manila on Monday. Bautista was the chairman of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) prior to his new assignment. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is eyeing a higher vote transmission rate in the 2016 national elections amid a negotiated bidding to provide the electronic results transmission services (ERTS) for next year’s polls.
Comelec chairman Andres Bautista said the agency is now looking on the company with the ‘best offer” to provide the ERTS.
The ERTS is the system used in the municipal, city, provincial, and national canvassing centers to send and receive transmitted results of voting.
Bautista cited that in 2010, a vote transmission rate of 90 percent was recorded while it declined to 76 percent during the 2013 midterm polls.
He said five companies had submitted their offer to the bids and awards committees of the Comelec.
Among the companies who joined the bidding were Smartmatic International Corp., Edgecomm Inc., Ezcom Telecommunications Service and Solutions Corp., SOG Philippines Inc. and Arronet Solutions Integrator Inc.
Comelec chairman Andres Bautista said the agency had resorted into a negotiated bidding after two failed biddings.
The winning service provider will be the one to supply the system, equipment, and services of the ERTS with an approved budget of P558 million.
Comelec data showed that Smartmatic had a bid of P507.7 million, Ezcom Telecommunications Services and Solutions Corp. submitted a bid of P505 million; Arronet Solutions Integrator Inc., P2.11 billion; EdgeComm Inc., P549.4 million; and SOG Philippines Inc., P555 million.
“Maliban po sa halaga na binigay nila ay kailangan din nating tingnan ang kainilang kakayahan at karanasan,” he said.
(Apart from the amount they had presented, we also need to look into their capability and experience.)
Bautista said the transmissions of votes need to be fast to avoid doubts from the public.
“Pagkatapos ng botohan kailangan makita agad resulta, kasi habang tumatagal na hindi nakikita ang resulta ay nagkakaroon ng duda,” he said.
(The results need to be known soon after voting, since delays in the presentation of results bring about doubts [from the public].)
He said that preliminary data from the Comelec showed that there are almost 55 million voters in next year’s polls.(MNS)