Comelec opens bidding for services in 2013 polls

MANILA -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is now looking to further its preparations for the May 2013 polls by opening the public bidding process for other poll-related services.

The Comelec-Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) said it is opening the numerous procurement processes with the bidding for the Lease of Warehouse for the more than 80,000 Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines the agency acquired from Smartmatic International.

“The Comelec–SBAC invites interested bidders to bid for the one lot with the approved budget for the contract of P112,000,000… for Lease of Warehouse with Configuration Facilities,” said the SBAC in its Invitation to Bid bulletin.

The commission en banc said the warehouse was made the opening salvo of the numerous bidding proceedings for services considering the urgency of the requirement as prescribed by their Project Management Office (PMO).

“The PMO has made the lease of a warehouse with configuration facilities as its priority in the list of the goods, services and infrastructure required to be procured for the May 13, 2013 Elections considering that the terms for the free use of the SMTT Warehouse in Cabuyao, Laguna will expire on August 31, 2012,” noted Comelec Resolution 9486.

The purchased 81,280 PCOS units by the Comelec are still currently stored in the warehouse of Smartmatic in Cabuyao, Laguna.

Last June 13, the Supreme Court dismissed the petitions against the Comelec’s exercise of the option to purchase the PCOS machines from Smartmatic, therefore leaving no more legal impediment for the poll body to re-use the machines from the 2010 polls.

Aside from housing the PCOS machines, the would-be warehouse would for the conduct of the configuration activities and other technical procedures involving the said PCOS machines.

According to the SBAC, a complete set of Bidding Documents may already be purchased by aspiring bidders from today until July 23 at the Comelec main office in Intramuros, Manila for a fee of P112,000.

The committee stressed that the bidding would be restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least 60 percent interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

A pre-bid conference is also set to be held at 10 a.m. of July 9 at the Comelec–Project Management Office at the Ground Floor of Palacio del Gobernador Bldg in Intramuros, Manila.

The Comelec–SBAC said the submission and opening of bids shall be at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. of July 23, respectively. (HDT/Sunnex)