HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

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1994

Preparations Prior to Signing of the Pilot Modernization Law

      The following year, the COMELEC already began preparations in anticipation of the signing of the draft modernization bill into law bu Congress.

      The first quarter of the year saw an equipment demonstration from each of the three (3) shortlisted companies from the US inspection trip, which consisted of:

1. American Information Systems, Inc. (AIS) of Nebraska, USA
   
   
2. Business Records Corporation (BRC) of Texas, USA and
   
   
3. National Computer Systems, Inc. (NCSI) of Minnesota, USA

Media, representatives of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Congress and the Citizen's Arms were invited to attend.

      In the course of the six months that followed, a bidding process for selection of supplier for canvassing equipment. Before the end of the third quarter, after a thorough study of the suppliers' proposals, BRC was selected. Then Resident COA Auditor certified the bidding procedures undertaken to select the vendor as being in accordance with Executive Order 301.

      In the beginning of the fourth quarter of the year, an initial meeting was held between COMELEC and BRC to draft a Memorandum of Agreement for Modernization. Two contracts were decided to be signed with BRC: one for the acquisition of eight (8) demo units, and another for the purchase of 492 units of canvassing equipment. The Commission had set to pilot the new election system in the coming May 1995 elections, which was still subject to Congressional approval.

      However, up to the end of the year, no contract was signed with BRC pending the passage of a law allowing for the use of a new election system. The COMELEC had two (2) demo units on loan from BRC which it used in conducting public demonstrations in Congress, the Senate, non-governmental organizations and other interested organizations.

1993

1995