TOR for automation bidding to be approved Friday

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will approve Friday the terms of reference (TOR) for the upcoming bidding process in connection with next year’s automated elections. In a news briefing Thursday, Comelec chairman Jose Melo said they have already completed the drafting of the TOR. Once the TOR is finalized, it would be published next week. “We want to give the service providers the opportunity to comment on the TOR then we will begin with the bidding process soon,” Melo said. The poll chairman assured that the coming 2010 elections would be clean, honest and credible. Melo made the statement a day after the Senate approved on third and final reading the P11.3 billion supplemental budget for the 2010 poll automation. The House had approved the budget last Monday. Melo, who had earlier set an April 1 deadline for the approval, said that with the budget already assured, the public can expect nationwide automated elections next year. “We are ready. We’ll be having full automation nationwide,” he said. - GMANews.TV