Sealed applications for eligibility and bid documents for the lease with option to purchase Optical Mark Readers (OMR), with an integrated Election Management System (EMS), to be used in the Automation of the Voting, Counting, Transmission and Canvassing of Votes for the August 11, 2008 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Elections, shall be received at the COMELEC Session Hall, 8th floor, Palacio del Gobernador, General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila, April 01, 2008 at 10:00 o’clock in the morning, at which place, date and time, said sealed bids shall be opened in the presence of the members of the Bids and Awards Committee, representatives of the Commission on Elections, Commission on Audit, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, the participating bidders and the public, with an Approved Budget for the Contract in the amount of Eighty-Seven Million Five Hundred Nineteen Thousand One Hundred Eighty (PhP 87,519,180.00), for lease, and an additional Thirty Seven Million Five Hundred Eight Thousand Two Hundred Twenty Pesos (PhP 37,508,220.00) for the option to purchase, for a total amount of One Hundred Twenty-Five Million Twenty-Seven Thousand Four Hundred Pesos (PhP 125,027,400.00), charged against the 2008 appropriations for election modernization.

      Bid documents may be obtained starting 14 March 2008, during regular office hours from the BAC Secretariat, Property Division, Administrative Services Department, Ground Floor, Shipping Centre, Andres Soriano Street, Intramuros, Manila, upon payment with the Cash Division, in cash or Manager’s/Cashier’s check, payable to “The Commission on Elections”, of a non-refundable amount of Twelve Thousand (PhP 12,000.00) Pesos. A Special Power of Attorney, made and executed by the prospective bidder, shall be required should it assign a representative to secure the bid documents.

      A Pre-Bid Conference is scheduled on 25 March 2008 at 10:00 o’clock in the morning at the Session Hall, Commission on Elections, 8th Floor, Palacio del Gobernador, Intramuros, Manila.

      Bids shall be accompanied by a Bid Security in the amount of PhP One Million Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Two Hundred Seventy Four Pesos (PhP 1,250,274.00) in the form of cash or Manager’s/ Cashier’s check payable to “The Commission on Elections”.

      The delivery schedules are indicated in the General Implementation Calendar, Part IV, Project-Relevant Information, of the Terms of Reference/Request for Proposal.

      The COMELEC reserves the right to reject any or all bids, waive any formal defect contained therein, and accept the lowest calculated responsive bid that is most advantageous to the Commission. Likewise, it reserves the right to review the qualifications of the bidders after the bidding and before the contract is executed. Should such review uncover any change in the situation of the bidder to materially downgrade the substance of such statements, the COMELEC shall disqualify the bidder upon due notice without any obligation whatsoever on the part of the COMELEC for any expense or loss that may be incurred by the bidder in the preparation of its bid.

     March 13, 2008