MANILA, Aug 10 (PIA) — Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chairman Andres Bautista presented on Wednesday the options being considered for the automation of the 2016 National and Local Elections before the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Election System (JCOC-AES) at the Philippine Senate.
This, according to Chairman Bautista, is part of ongoing efforts of the poll body to consult as many stakeholders as possible regarding the automated election system.
Speaking before the JCOC-AES, the poll chief said that in light of the recent award of the contract for the lease of 23,000 new Optical Mark Reader (OMR) Machines to Smartmatic, the COMELEC is weighing in the option of engaging in direct negotiations for the refurbishment of the existing 81,896 Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) Machines or leasing 70,977 new OMR Machines.
“The issues being considered by the COMELEC at the moment are cost, timeliness and technical risk. The difference between cost of refurbishment and lease of new machines is around PhP2.5billion,” Bautista said.
With approximately 54 million voters in 2016, COMELEC targets to bring the ratio of voter-to-machine down to 600 to 800 voters per OMR as opposed to the 1000 voter per PCOS machine in 2010 and 2013.
The question, according to Bautista, is whether the augmentation will come from the refurbished 81,896 PCOS machines or the leased brand-new OMRs.
“The COMELEC will be making the choice between these two options in the coming weeks. It will be in the nation’s best interest if the decision making process is as well-informed as it can possibly be,” Bautista ended. (COMELEC)