The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has set next week the public bidding for the acquisition of an internet voting system for the 2025 polls.

In its Invitation to Bid, the Comelec-Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) said prospective bidders may now acquire a complete set of bidding documents at the SBAC Secretariat Office located at 3/F Annex Building of the Far East Managers and Investors Incorporated (FEMII) Building in Intramuros, Manila from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays.

The documents may be acquired by interested bidders for PHP50,000.

A pre-bid conference is set to be held on Jan. 25 at the 4th Floor of the Palacio del Gobernador Building in Intramuros, Manila at 2 p.m.

Bids must be duly received by the SBAC Secretariat on or before Feb. 8, at 9 a.m. at the SBAC Secretariat Office. Late bids will no longer be accepted.

The poll body has set the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS) at PHP465,810,926.

“Bids received in excess of the total ABC shall automatically be rejected at the bid opening,” the SBAC said.

It said the bids will be opened on Feb. 8 at 10:30 a.m. at the 3rd Floor of the Palacio del Gobernador Building in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who they chose to attend.

Earlier, the Comelec en banc approved the use of internet voting for registered voters overseas in the next national polls.

Under Section 28 of Republic Act No. 10590, the Comelec may explore other modes of voting, including internet-based technology. (PNA) 

Photo credit: Facebook/comelec.ph