Comelec to buy only 30,000 ballot boxes for 2013 polls

MANILA, Philippines - After convincing the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) to release 57,255 ballot boxes, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will now have to buy only 30,000 ballot boxes in January for the May 2013 polls.

In a bid bulletin, the Comelec Special Bids and Awards Committee has invited interested suppliers to join the public bidding by submitting bids on Jan. 9 starting at 9 a.m. at the poll body’s office in Palacio del Governador building in Intramuros, Manila.

“In view of the PET decision allowing the Commission to use the ballot boxes and considering Comelec Minute Resolution 12-1156 authorizing the SBAC to procure 30,000 ballot boxes,” stated SBAC Bid Bulletin No. 4.

The Comelec had been asking PET to allow the use of the boxes containing the ballots that are the subject of the electoral protest case filed by Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II against Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Roxas lost to Binay in the 2010 vice-presidential race but he questioned this before PET.

Two weeks ago, PET decided to release 57,255 ballot boxes for use by the Comelec in the May 13, 2013 polls.

In late November, the Comelec SBAC already opened the public bidding for the ballot boxes to be used in the 2013 polls.

According to SBAC, officials approved the P290-million budget for the contract to purchase 30,000 ballot boxes.

SBAC, however, said that the Comelec reserves the right to reduce the number of units and the budget, subject to the decision of PET.

It noted as parts of the requirements, the ballot boxes shall be similar to those supplied by Smartmatic International Corp. in the 2010 polls. This includes having translucent body; top cover having four locks; the cover being lifted for paper roll change without removing it from the body; being made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic material; water-resistant; and having dimensions of 50cm in width, 93cm in depth, and 95cm in height.

SBAC said the ballot boxes shall be delivered from Feb. 15 to 28, 2013 to a Comelec-designated warehouse.