Despite issues, Senate panel OKs Comelec 2013 budget

After five long-drawn hearings, the Senate finance committee on Monday finally approved the proposed 2013 budget of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) despite issues concerning the poll body's policies and preparations for next year's elections.

 

“We shall now consider the budget of the Comelec submitted for the consideration of the plenary," Senate finance committee chair Franklin Drilon said during the day's hearing on the Comelec's P8.4-billon proposed budget.

 

Drilon made the move even after Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano raised so many issues during the Comelec budget hearings.

 

He said any pending issues Cayetano may have can be taken up during the plenary debates or during hearings of his oversight committee.

 

The Comelec is the last agency whose budget was submitted by the Senate finance committee for plenary consideration.    

On Monday, Cayetano specifically questioned the poll body about the bidding and printing of the ballots for the 2013 elections.

 

"I expressed alarm over the apparent lack of concern of Comelec on the issue of ballot printing...in spite of evident deficiencies in the capabilities of the supplier appointed by the National Printing Office (NPO)," he said after the hearing.

 

He explained that the NPO and Comelec awarded the ballot printing to Holy Family Printing Corp. despite video evidence of alleged "ink bleeding" on the ballot and the supposed inability of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines to process the same ballots.

 

"Kitang-kita na nagpabaya sila pinasa lang sa National Printing Office ang responsibilidad. Inamin din nila na hindi sila nagpadala ng commissioner o hindi nila binantayan ang bidding at testing process. Palagi nilang sinasabi na binabantayan nila ang issues pero sa totoo lang, hindi naman niya masabi kung ano ang mga issue," he said.

 

During the hearing, he asked the poll body to consider rebidding the ballot contract.

 

"It doesn’t give us confidence at nakikita natin na either pumapayag sila na magkandaloko-loko ang automation o wala lang talaga silang pakialam," he said.

 

In an interview after the hearing, Comelec chair Sixto Brillantes Jr. said they will check the supposed allegations, which he said were brought up by the losing bidders.

 

"I don't think there really is [an] anomaly, palagay ko meron sigurong konting mali kung meron man pero not enough to nullify [the contract]. The NPO can explain this more," he said.

 

He also noted that they cannot rebid the contract since they are pressed for time.

 

"Nai-award na ito, nandyan na yung makina ng Canon. Gusto ba nila iatras pa namin ito o higpitan na lang namin ang pagbabantay para makita? Parang gusto pa nila i-wiwithdraw namin yung kuwan hindi pupuwede, we have several timelines we have to comply with.  Wala na, ipit na kami sa oras," he said, although noting that they are not disregarding all these reports. — Kimberly Jane Tan/RSJ, GMA News