Notice of award for VRIS legally obtained — P

Photokina Marketing Corp., which won the bid to implement the Voter’s Registration and Identification System (VRIS), insisted yesterday that it had complied with all rules of the bidding and obtained the notice of award for the modernization project legally.

As this developed, the House of Representatives took steps yesterday to secure sufficient funding for the long-delayed VRIS while assailing the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for reportedly negotiating with other parties for a similar project.

Photokina vice president Eric Noora said they remain open for further negotiations with Comelec officials if only to meet their requirements and start the modernization project.

"In the first place, there should be no questions as to its legality because we haven’t even signed any contract yet that makes it legal," Noora said following a three-hour technical presentation before Comelec officials at the poll body’s offices in Intramuros, Manila.

He said there was actually nothing illegal in the process since the bidding was done in accordance with the rules.

"If it had been illegal, then everything should have been voided. Until now, we haven’t received any formal document that says the project has been canceled and the bid is void," Noora said.

The VRIS provides a comprehensive and integrated solution for voter registration, including the computerization of the voter’s list. A secure voter ID card, which will serve as tangible proof of the clean voters’ list, shall be issued to some 35 million voters.

The Photokina consortium was awarded the project after garnering the highest technical score and submitting the lowest price of P6.5 billion. It outbid its closest rival by more than P500 million.

Comelec Chairman Alfredo Benipayo said pursuit of the VRIS is being hampered by the lack of funds. He scheduled a meeting with Photokina to allow the consortium to make a thorough presentation of how the system works.

In a privilege speech at the House of Representatives, Biliran Rep. Gerry Espina questioned the continued delay of poll modernization laws passed more than five years ago.

"Let us do everything in our power to help the Comelec ensure clean, honest and orderly elections by providing the necessary funding for its modernization," Espina said.

Congressmen resolved to refer issues brought up by Espina to the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms headed by Iloilo Rep. Jose Syjuco.

Espina criticized Benipayo for blaming lack of funds in the delay of the VRIS project.

"The modernization is in fact being delayed by the continued internal bickering within the Comelec itself," he said.

Espina also found it strange that Benipayo would ask the budget department to reallocate an existing P1.2-billion budget for the VRIS for other purposes and then cry about the lack of funds.

He also objected to the Comelec chief’s moves to negotiate with other parties for another modernization project while dismissing the award given to Photokina.

"If we are to have cleaner, more honest and more peaceful elections, we must implement the laws on modernization now," Espina said.

Negros Occidental Rep. Herminio Teves echoed the observations of Espina and even proposed the postponement of the 2002 barangay polls so that a P1.8-billion fund can be diverted to the modernization program.

"It is irresponsible of us not to provide whatever funding it takes to ensure that the most basic institution of our democracy does not continue to be undermined and abused," Teves said.

Yesterday’s technical presentation at the Comelec offices was attended by Benipayo, commissioners Florentino Tuason, Resurreccion Borra and other Comelec officials and representatives of Photokina and its partners Headstrong, IBM, Polaroid, Sagem and Unisys.

"What we wanted to do was to show them what the VRIS is all about and hopefully start the negotiations again," said Noora, who was among the presenters.

He said the consortium is hopeful that Congress will be able to appropriate the entire P6.5-billion budget for the VRIS through a multi-year scheme.

Noora said Comelec and Photokina should start negotiations and implement the pilot phase and see if it works.

"From our understanding, the Comelec now has P1.2 billion to start the project for Phase 1," he said. "If it doesn’t work then we don’t get paid, fine."

Noora was confident, however, that Photokina "will be able to deliver a project with a working system and go on to the next projects."

Representatives of Photokina and its foreign partners said problems earlier perceived by the Comelec in terms of the speed and accuracy of the system can be solved.