The Commission on Elections’ (COMELEC) Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) said today that the poll body is set to award the P11.3 billion contract for the automation of the May 10, 2010 National and Local Elections this week.

COMELEC SBAC Chairman Atty. Ferdinand Rafanan reported that they are done testing the automated machines, with the consortium Total Information Management/Smartmatic successfully hurdling all of the SBAC’s rigorous 26 criteria.

“We are just winding up now. Our Technical Working Group is preparing its reports, and if we receive them today, we will make the SBAC report and recommendation to the Commission en banc,” said Rafanan.

“I think the Commission en banc may award the contract this week,” Rafanan added.

“Everybody is satisfied with the end to end demonstration of the machines, even Congressman Teodoro “Teddy Boy” Locsin and representatives of Senator Mar Roxas, who came here to observe the demonstration, have no negative comments. We are happy because finally we’ll be fully automating our elections, this is historic,” he said. Locsin is the Chairman of House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms.

Rafanan, however, clarified that the lone remaining bidder still has to pass more stringent tests ahead. “After we award the contract, the winning bidder has to hurdle five more tests that will ensure their machines will deliver accurate election results,” he said.

According to Rafanan, the five tests include (1) Laboratory tests, to see if the machines are durable and could withstand different climactic conditions in the Philippines; (2) Field tests, where the machines will be twice tested on the field; (3) Mock elections, where the voting public can see for themselves that the machines actually work according to the COMELEC’s specifications; (4) Transmission tests, where experts can try to test the machines’ weaknesses and (5) Final tests, the last stage of testing before all the 82,200 units of Precinct Count Optical Scanners (PCOS) machines are certified and sealed for use on Election Day.

Meanwhile, Rafanan, who also heads the COMELEC’s Law Department, dismissed as “baseless” AMA-Election System and Software’s (AMA-ES&S) allegations recently that the bidding process for the poll automation contract was “sluggish, inconsistent and irregular.” The consortium withdrew its third motion for reconsideration filed before the SBAC.

“The SBAC is not influenced by these accusations. Kung ano ang tama, ‘yun ang gagawin namin,” said Rafanan; noting that in fact, before AMA-ES&S withdrew their third motion for reconsideration, the SBAC had already come up with a resolution regarding the firm’s motion. Rafanan said the SBAC decided not to release the resolution after AMA-ES&S’ pull-out. ###