Scrapping of voter’s ID system questioned

Three officials of the Commission on Elections questioned yesterday the decision of Comelec Chairwoman Harriet Demetriou to suspend the implementation of the controversial P6.5-billion computerized voter identification system.

In a joint statement, Commissioners Julio Desamito, Luzviminda Tancangco and Ralph Lantion said the poll body can still push through with the program upon proper representation with the concerned government agencies.

"We do not believe that these legal and financial issues she (Demetriou) has raised necessarily render the whole bidding process null and void," their statement said.

Earlier, Demetriou informed President Estrada in a letter that she is suspending the program under the Voter Registration and Identification System (VRIS) allegedly due to lack of funds and reasons of legality.

Demetriou said the signing of a contract with Photokina Marketing Corp. regarding the bidding of machines for the ID program would be a violation of the law.

The commissioners said Demetriou signed all the pertinent resolutions connected with VRIS, from the publication on the invitation to bid, to the awarding of the project to winning bidders.

"How could the bidding be null and void?" read the statement. "Many of the government projects have a life span of more than one year. And the practice is to contract the project on a yearly basis, corresponding to the amount certified as available by the authority."

The commissioners said the practice is allowed under the law, although Demetriou described the approach as "chop-chop."

Demetriou said the implementation of VRIS needs P6.5 billion, and that the Comelec has a budget of only P1.2 billion for the computerization program.

Demetriou said she would welcome challenges to her decision and threatened to file an impeachment complaint against the commissioners who would sign the contract with Photokina.

However, the commissioners urged Demetriou to work with them in ironing out the problems so the landmark project can be finally implemented. — Mayen Jaymalin