FILE PHOTO: COMELEC Spokesperson Director James Jimenez (Get It Straight with Daniel Razon)
MANILA, Philippines — The 7 members of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) en banc were present in today’s session.
The main agenda was to come up with a final decision on what voting machines to use for the 2016 elections.
It can be recalled that the poll body is weighing between two options, to refurbish 81,000 old PCOS machines or lease new OMR voting machines.
Last Saturday, the bidding for the refurbishment option ended again as a failure that is why the poll body may now enter into a negotiated contract.
On the other hand Smartmatic won the bidding for the lease of 70,977 new OMR machines.
However, in today’s session, the en banc failed to come up with a final decision but instead will do further consultations.
COMELEC spokesman Dir. James Jimenez said, “There is no decision yet on what we are waiting for but consultations will be made.”
Tomorrow, COMELEC officials will consult the COMELEC advisory council. On Thursday the poll officials will face the joint congressional oversight committee on the automated election.
After these two consultations the en banc will again meet and hope to agree with a final ruling on the matter.
Jimenez added, “It’s too early to say on which option they are leaning because the discussion on it has just started. But I think the main thing here is that were seeking input from other stakeholders as well.”
COMELEC Chairman Andres Bautista beforehand said the poll body hopes to come up with a final decision by the second week of this month.
Bautista stressed that among the things COMELEC will consider before deciding on which option to pursue is the cost it will entail, the time that the machines will be produced and the technical risk between the two options.
However COMELEC Spokeman James Jimenez said there is still no cause for alarm even if it is only nine months away before the May 9, 2016 polls and the poll body does not yet have the machines to use for the elections.
“The en banc is still proceeding and as we see it we are not totally lost, we have time,” Jimenez said.
Smartmatic previously stated that they withdrew from the bidding for the refurbishment of the PCOS machines citing lack of time to complete such task. (RODERIC MENDOZA / UNTV News)