Comelec to rebid ink deal in light of controversy

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will rebid the contract for indelible ink to be used in the May 10 polls amid allegations of irregularity. On Sunday, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said Texas Resources Corp., the company that had won the bidding for the contract, had failed to meet the poll body’s specifications. "It will be unfair if there has been a bidding and you’ll just let the bidder improve his product afterward. There should be a rebidding so more bidders can join," Jimenez said. Under Section 35 of the Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act, the state must look for new bidders in case the first one fails. The Comelec has allotted P77 million for the ink, used to mark the index fingers of voters to deter flying voters. Last week, Arwin Serrano, coordinator of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, said the poll body should investigate the bidding for some 720,000 bottles of indelible ink. Serrano alleged that there had initially been two bidders, but the other had been disqualified, leaving supplier Texas Resources Corporation as the sole bidder. But the poll body found out that its ink washed off easily. On Sunday, Jimenez said the rebidding would not delay the automated polls. He also assured the public that the Comelec would not use substandard indelible ink. "Don’t worry about it. [We’ll make sure] that even if the dye may be removed by a strong enough solvent, the discoloration of the skin still cannot be removed," Jimenez said. — SMD/NPA, GMANews.TV