Comelec ordered to comment on petitions vs PCOS, OMR bidding

THE Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to comment on the petitions filed against the parallel bidding for the refurbishment of the Precinct Court Optical Scan (PCOS) machines and the lease of 93, 977 new Optical Mark Reader (OMR) to be used for the 2016 elections worth P14.57 billion.

“The Court without necessarily giving due course to the petition , required respondent to comment on the petition and the application for the issuance of a temporary restraining order within a period of 10 days from notice,” high court’s Information Chief Theodore Te said at a press conference.

In both petitions, the high court gave Comelec 10 days to comment.

In the petition filed by the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG), they asked the high court to immediately issue a temporary restraining order and or a preliminary injunction to stop the poll body from proceeding with the parallel biddings as well as the creation of two separate Special Bids and Awards Committee to supervise the process as embodied in Comelec Resolution No. 15-0355 and 15-1359.

The petitioner argued that there is no legal basis for conducting a parallel or simultaneous bidding and that the same is contrary to public policy.

The other petition was filed by Archbishops Rolando Tria Tirona, Romulo de la Cruz, Oscar Cruz, Fernando Capalla, Ramon Arguelles; Bishops Filomeno Bactol, Juan Dedios Pueblos, Ramon Villena; Rev. Arthur Corpuz, former senator Francisco Tatad, former Manila City Councilor Greco Belgica, and former Biliran Rep. Glenn Chong asking the Court declare Comelec Resolution No. 15-0444 null and void.

The resolution allows the realignment for the capital outlay requirement of the 2016 national and local elections.

The Comelec resolution also canceled the lease of Election Management System and the Precinct-Based Direct Recording Electronic for P727 million.