Comelec: 2 firms fit to bid for 2025 polls vote transmission

Two joint ventures led by Filipino companies were deemed eligible to participate in the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) bidding for the Secure Electronic Transmission Services (SETS) which will be used in the 2025 national and local elections.

The technical working group formed by the Comelec Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) on Automated Election System (AES) looked into the bidding documents of the joint venture of eBiZolution, Inc.-Secur Links Network and Technologies Inc.-Systems Information and Solutions Corporation, and the joint venture of iOne Resources, Inc. and Ardent Networks, Inc.

The committee found eBiZolution, Inc. joint venture eligible to join the procurement process, and iOne Resources, Inc. ineligible "for its failure to indicate its certificate of net financial contracting capacity."

However, the Comelec SBAC still considered both joint ventures eligible to bid for the procurement project.

The Comelec SBAC considered that the joint venture of iOne Resources, Inc. and Ardent Networks, Inc.'s submission of its net financial contracting capacity "compliant with Republic Act 9184 and in consonance with the purpose of which the net financial contracting capacity is required."

After the two joint ventures were found eligible to bid for the project, the Comelec SBAC started the scrutiny of their financial documents.

The joint venture of eBiZolution, Inc.-Secur Links Network and Technologies Inc.-Systems Information and Solutions Corporation has set their bid offer at P1,628,888,888 while the joint venture of iOne Resources, Inc. and Ardent Networks, Inc. offered P1,426,000,348.

The approved budget contract for SETS is at P1.638 billion.

The Comelec SBAC has yet to release its decision on the financial documents submitted by both joint ventures.

A post-qualification evaluation will be conducted should their offers be approved by the Comelec SBAC.

If both companies pass the two initial requirements, the Comelec SBAC will choose the "lowest calculated bid." —LDF, GMA Integrated News