Report on ballot folder probe to be released on Monday, poll official says

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is expected to release the report regarding the botched P690-million ballot secrecy folder contract on Monday, an official said. The Comelec’s law department head Ferdinand Rafanan has committed to submit the report to the Comelec en banc on Monday, Commissioner Rene Sarmiento told reporters on Friday. Rafanan is the head of a three-man panel tasked to look into the awarding of an "extravagant" contract to supplier One Time Carbon (OTC) Paper Supply. Comelec chairman Jose Melo earlier admitted that the poll body en banc and the Comelec Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) committed a "lapse" in judgment when it awarded the contract to supply and deliver 1,815,000 pieces of 25-inch long ballot secrecy folders to OTC for P690 million. Rafanan had also said that certain poll body officials need to do some explaining, including Executive Director Jose Tolentino who supposedly recommended OTC for the award. However, both Tolentino and BAC chair Lea Alarkon said that they followed the procurement process in choosing OTC. Sarmiento, for his part, said that the commission has no idea yet about the results of the investigation. "By Monday malalaman po natin... ipapasa po sa amin and then kasi more of administrative yan (we will know the results, he will pass the report to us and everything will be very administrative [in nature])," he said. Results of the probe have been repeatedly delayed because the BAC, Tolentino, and OTC have not yet submitted some documents despite "repeated demands," Sarmiento said. But Alarkon said that her committee has complied with the law department's orders. "We believe we have submitted all the records concerning the procurement... the documents will speak for [themselves]," she said. Sarmiento said that the Commission will penalize those who refuse to cooperate with the investigation. "The Comelec will decide accordingly (but) hopefully it will be the final extension," he said. - RJAB Jr./LBG, GMANews.TV