Comelec decision on vote counting machines deal out this week

MANILA, Philippines — The decision on whether or not to award lone bidder Miru Systems the supply contract for the vote counting machines for the 2025 midterm elections will be announced this week, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Wednesday.

Garcia said a contract negotiation will follow if the South Korean firm gets the contract.

A negotiated bidding process, however, will be conducted where another firm will be selected to participate in the project if the South Korean firm is not awarded the deal.

“Malalaman ninyo po within this week kung ibibigay namin yung award sa nag-iisang bidder na ito base sa ginawang technical evaluation, post-qualification, and such other issues pertaining to this company,” Garcia said in a press conference after Miru Systems conducted a product demonstrtion.

(You will know within this week if we will award it to the lone bidder based on the technical evaluation conducted, post-qualification, and other issues pertaining to this company.)

“These machines were customized in accordance with the terms of reference, which the commission came up with last year pa po. Hindi po ito ‘yung machines na ang Comelec ang nag-adjust sa kanila. Sila ang nag-adjust base sa ating requirements,” he said.

(These machines were customized in accordance with the terms of reference set by the commission last year. These are not machines that the Comelec adjusted for them. They were adjusted based on our requirements.)

Comelec is eyeing to lease 110,000 vote-counting machines at P155,000 per unit.

Garcia said that Miru offered to lease its machines for P149,000 each.

Aside from the vote-counting machines themselves, the lease agreement includes ballot boxes, papers, pens, laptops, printing services, and other necessities for the conduct of the election.