REJECTED BALLOT Local election staff smooth out a ballot after it was rejected by the vote counting machine inside a polling precinct at Santa Lucia Elementary School in San Juan. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ JAM STA. ROSA
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The country鈥檚 current provider of vote counting machines (VCMs), Smartmatic, or any supplier for that matter, cannot be banned from future public biddings without any legal basis, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said.
Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez pointed this out in a media forum on Friday even after President Rodrigo Duterte asked the poll body to 鈥渄ispose鈥� Smartmatic and find a new firm that is 鈥渇ree of fraud.鈥�
READ: Duterte tells Comelec: Dispose Smartmatic听
Venezuela-based Smartmatic supplied the VCMs for the May 13 midterm elections and three previous automated elections.
鈥淜akailanganin natin ng legal basis to ban any supplier so yun ang titignan natin,鈥� Jimenez said when asked whether Smartmatic will be banned from any public bidding in the future following Duterte鈥檚 pronouncement.
Under government procurement laws, agencies are required to hold public biddings and prioritize the lowest bidder that satisfied the bid requirements.
鈥淎gain鈥alang hold ang Smartmatic sa Comelec, kung 鈥榙i lamang sila ang nanalo sa bidding natin,鈥� Jimenez said.
鈥淜ung matanggal yung proseso ng bidding, matanggal yung requirement for a public bidding then maybe that鈥檚 something that we can work with,鈥� he added.
Despite this, Jimenez said the Comelec will look into the suggestion of the President.
READ: Comelec to study call of Duterte to replace Smartmatic听
鈥淎ng mahalagang buod nung mensahe ay hindi itinatakwil ng Presidente and automated system, kaya nga lang, hindi siya satisfied doon sa ginagamit na supplier, so that鈥檚 something again that we can build on and over the next few days,鈥� the Comelec spokesperson said.
鈥淭alagang pag-aaralan po ng Komisyon ang sinabi ng presidente, there鈥檚 a lot to unpack with the president鈥檚 statement and there鈥檚 a lot of work that would be in seeing to it na ma-satisfy po yung ating bayan at ang ating pangulo,鈥� he added. (Editor: Jonathan P. Vicente)