Benipayo says VRIS bidding ‘a failure’

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Alfredo Benipayo stressed yesterday that the Voters’ Registration and Identification System (VRIS) should have had a failed bid since the winning bidder overshot the project’s budget of P1.2 billion.

Photokina Marketing Corp. bid for the VRIS project for P6.5 billion, which overshot the budget of only P1.2 billion.

In fact, Benipayo said, all bidders went over the P1.2-billion budget.

"Technically, all participants over-bid and, consequently, a failure of bidding should have been immediately declared," said Benipayo in his speech before the Manila Overseas Press Club (MOPC) press forum held at the Century Park Hotel in Manila.

Benipayo cited the case of the Automated Counting and Consolidation of Results System (ACCORS) project where the Comelec en banc declared the bidding a failure since "three bidders submitted bids that exceed P500 million, the funds earmarked for the project."

On the other hand, Benipayo hinted that another modernization project, the precinct mapping, is illegal, citing it as an anomaly.

"The law does not authorize it, nor does the law provide funding for it. Legally, it should not even exist. And yet, drawing upon Comelec funds earmarked for modernization activities such as the purchase of computers and automated counting machines, the project hired thousands upon thousands of casual workers, and have them go to every single household in the country," said Benipayo.

All three components of the Comelec Modernization Program are projects of Comelec Commissioner Luzviminda Tancangco.

"I understand that there are some who would rather destroy the Commission than be proven wrong," said Benipayo, hinting that Tancangco had been trying to destroy his image, as well as the Comelec’s.

The three projects, VRIS, ACCORS, and Precinct Mapping were shelved by the Comelec during the time of former Comelec Chairman Harriet Demetriou, and has not been continued by Benipayo.

Benipayo and his administration, has asked the Photokina group to present their side before the Comelec en banc. — Sandy Araneta