With all seven (7) bidders to the nationwide automation project found to be ineligible, with not a single bidder found to have qualified – in the first round alone of the screening and evaluation process – is it not tantamount to saying there was in fact a failure in bidding?
With such failure, can the law that allows the budget of P11.3 billion to be spent would in fact be violated if COMELEC failed to otherwise implement it? Or, is there then a need to do an entire paradigm shift – from an all-too rigid but transparent public bidding practice to one of more convenient, albeit bereft of transparency which is the negotiated contract?
If this be the case, then it looks like public bidding in the way it was conducted is nothing but an exercise in futility. Apparently, companies or their consortiums failed to the satisfaction of the COMELEC in the more basic eligibility requirements that it dims any possibility that, if so allowed to the contracts, they can deliver on the financial and especially the technical requirements of full automation.
Thus, after having solicited all possible proposals from various competing consortiums or companies, not one in many, has been found to qualify. The whole idea behind public bidding cannot be underestimated for it satisfies the requisites of full transparency in the administration of P11.3 of taxpayers money.
However, where this failed to undo the whole problematic situation with a quick fix such as a negotiated contract, this resulting move ought to challenge reflection.
What is negotiated contract? Ordinarily, it does away with public bidding. It is more convenient on both parties to the contract. However, it runs counter to the overarching requirement of transparency. Perhaps, its largely anti-thetical character lends suspicion to whether it can be implemented judiciously.
But then again, maybe indeed, COMELEC might instead, for now, forget about the whole idea of full automation of elections come May 2010 until it is afforded much time and more opportunities to source the ‘architecture’ that will allow an automated election to be free from every form of ‘cheating’.
From the outline, it will then be difficult to check whether the negotiated contract would have been the best of all possible worlds considering how entirely not too difficult to ‘mess up’ with the budget should anyone attempt to do so.
Point is, P11 billion means an awful sum of money in the single basin. When transactions are no longer transparent because they don’t have to be anymore transparent after the government has sort of justified why it should resort to a negotiated contract, then the manner by which government spends so much cash becomes a seeming ‘private affair’ – even perhaps entirely hidden from public view.
In the end, when COMELEC swore that they went slow precisely to be transparent, in a negotiated contract, the process might go in the reverse. Negotiated contracts are possibly susceptible to the so-called “Cnth” virus where c stands for corruption – the peril we all fear.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Prime,
The COMELEC claims its rules do not provide for a negotiated contract as is usually done when bidders in a public bid call are unable to submit ‘responsive’ proposal along the specs parameters for the project.
Prior to the disqualifications there have been wagging tongues which claimed a ‘favored group’ had already been secretly picked.
I am praying the this time the COMELEC process is the ‘real honest deal.
Ignominy will be the least ‘reward’ Chairman Jose Melo and team faces should they mess up.
The corner barberos and the coffee shop wagging tongues were not given pansin during the many phases of this automation project. Heck, there are barberos who do not even know what will be automated and wagging tongues asking for ATM’s or retina-scanners at the polling places.
I got to sit right next to James Jimenez (Comelec spokesman and head of its Education and Info Dept.) at IBLOG5 today, where he gave a talk on the topic of your post, and over which we had a pretty long running chat. He claims that automation is not dead for 2010 and that there is in fact an appeals process that they are pursuing. He seemed fairly confident that they would accomplish the task set out by the law, although that is not what Jose Melo, Comelec Chair, seemed to be saying on tv yesterday. I like James and think he is in earnest about automation…I think he ought to be a Comelec Commissioner since he seems to be the only one in there, aside from his staff, that understands the challenge and promise of automation.
Did you ask him that COMELEC should do the ATM-like network you propose (with or without retina-scanners)?
In a public bidding…we got screwed; in a nego we got fock, what’s the difference?
On with it; if DJB thinks automation is almost foolproof…then, ON WITH IT! heheh.
When the corner barbershop barberos do not even know what COMELEC is going to implement, ignominy faces COMELEC for sure.
When barberos feel their opinions were not sought, then the wagging tongues will wag and wag, hindi ba?
Look at the coming 2010 election. The tail will wag the dog…
unbelievable?
DJB,
Just to throw caution in the wind, we don’t have to be too convinced as to even endorse a spokesperson to be the commissioner himself since people in the bureaucracy carries with them the power of ‘mass hypnosis’- more especially with one whose line of work is “to convince”.
To get to the point. I don’t think that the COMELEC should still allow much less entertain appeals if it is sure on the basis of its assessment or evaluation that the consortiums concerned really failed the pre-eligibility requirements. Otherwise, it is like putting the toothpaste back into the tube.
It’s all child’s play to find out that after appeals, at least 3 original bidders would come out to have qualified. That to me is “magic”.
The COMELEC Commissioner is the tail that will wag the dog..
This time it is the failure of bidding. Then, power failures at the
time of election. Finally, the failure of the automation, itself.
Tapos na naman ang eleksiyon…Here comes EDSAs.
his time it is the failure of bidding. Then, power failures at the
time of election. Finally, the failure of the automation, itself.
Tapos na naman ang eleksiyon…Here comes EDSAs.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
I knew you were gonna say that. :lol:
Some case scenarios…but it could happen,…
Spot on tasio, pardon the contagious comment.
I beam up…no intelligent being in this Planet…
EDSA is a dangerous proposition altogether.
No one will bite that bullet, just no one.
Those who self-deceivingly thought themselves to have fought the wars in EDSA are our leaders of today not those officers and enlisted personnel who defected or broke the so-called chain of command to side with the lynch mob.
EDSAs are a simple work in “bluffing”.
E kung nagboto ba naman ang mga tao ng matino, wala na yang EDSA na yan.
E ayan, kasi, puro PASAWAY.
nagboto nga ng matino ang mga tao, BongV!
kaso ang ibinoto kumambyo ng paatras pagkatapos ng election. ang kulit.
kasalanan ba ng mga tao iyon?
Bert:
Define “MATINO”
bong,
You don’t have to say what you might refuse to remember.
We voted for the president we believe in except that when they counted our votes, or even prior to that, everything is already screwed up. The questioned votes were placed in a sea called – “noted” – please don’t even forget that.
Secondly, we never really voted at least two presidents who made their ascent to the Palace. Sure you don’t forget but remember your history unless you are crazy enough to refuse to do so.
What criteria where you using?
A person who said she will not run again in public, then she ran?
Wouldn’t that would have you told she’s a liar?
She lied in Public BEFORE she became president.
She lied in public in broad daylight – and yet, you voted for her?
If she can lie in public, don’t you wonder how many more lies she has in the back of her hand? HOW CAN YOU MISS THAT?
And now, you would have me believe that she is responsible for everything that has gone haywire?
Under “noted”?
YOU voted for a liar? :D
HEAR! HEAR! Everybody!
Here’s the case: (Evidences available in most FV threads.)
BongV defending her government, Primer bashing her government!
Now, the whole FV collectives and commenters will judge!
The Question: WHO BETWEEN BongV and Primer VOTED FOR HER?
Bert:
Please show where I defend her government.
And for the record, I voted for Raul Roco.
This month is May 2009.
COMELEC needs 80,000 automation machines which should all be in its premises between October 1 to December 30.
What follows that is testing from November 12, 2009 on to February 12, 2010 with training from December 1, 2009 to February 13, 2010. There will be a mock election on December 13, 2009.
So far, COMELEC aims to hear the appeals made by 4 bidders and in the process might even have to already approved of 1, provided however that no single requirement will be compromised.
Given this schedule, there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel as the more clear scenario is for it to revert back to the old mode. Local automation is to partial application as full automation is to national application.
Bong,
If you think GMA lied when she said she will not run but did run, you should not be crazy enough to believe that and then take it against her. Such is the sub-culture in governance.
Lady Miriam also did say she will fall from a plane but at least candid enough to say “I lied”. Not GMA.
Good thing is, institutions as they may have indicatively been already prostituted, take care of all her woes.
If you think GMA lied when she said she will not run but did run, you should not be crazy enough to believe that and then take it against her. Such is the sub-culture in governance.
Primer:
You sound like you are condoning liars. Kaya naman pala walang asenso ang pilipinas, people don’t take lying seriously – because it is already the norm.
Men, UNBELIBABOY :D
If you think GMA lied when she said she will not run but did run, you should not be crazy enough to believe that and then take it against her. Such is the sub-culture in governance.
Ang nakita ko kay US Sen Bill Frist and Florida Gov Jeb Bush – when they said “I will not run” – they kept their words, and did not lie. Same thing with Al Gore. Or Dolphy, for that matter.
Corrupt ka rin pala men e.
We should, as a rule, sometimes, read between the lines (School of Rock). Be cool.
If you think I have to take you seriously. I think that we can proceed with caution, insight and even greater amount of logic before we even have to accuse someone in public as being the thing we thought him to be, when he is exactly the thing he is not.
Point here is this. Hindi naman ako corrupt. Ibang mundo yan bong.
It is etched in a city’s history that I am instrumental in the unprecendented rise in revenue from business taxes when I headed the office in charge of permits and licenses.
That is built on the conceptual framework that I know of “The bigger the collection, the lesser the corruption. More corruption, less collection.”
Please don’t twist this further for what could possible fire your mind.
Primer:
Let me put this in proper context, you wrote that I should not be crazy enough to believe that and then take it against her. Such is the sub-culture in governance.
To which I reply when I (or you) don’t take lying of public officials seriously I (or you) am (are) an enabler of corruption and therefore as a primary enabler, I (or you) am (are) also corrupt.
Now, if nearly all Filipinos treat lying by public officials casually, why are we rallying if someone lied about ZTE-NBN?
Shouldn’t we be rallying against ourselves for not taking lying seriously?
If it’s something that we can attribute to others like the “nation of servants” brouhaha, we are so quick to the draw”, but when asked to look at ourselves in the mirror and dared to ask the tough questions, we cut and run?
*******
Unprecedented can take lots of meanings.
Real-world case: Foreign Direct InvestmentsFor example the Philippines had an unprecedented increase in Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) when compared to its performance to the previous years. When you take those figures and compare it to the ASEAN’s performance, the Philippines is receiving crumbs.
Real-world case: Tourism Arrivals . Or a certain city had an unprecedented 60% increase in tourist arrivals from 150,000 in the previous year to 240,000 in the current year. When benchmarked against its internal performance it looked unprecedented. Well, for the same period, another city was having modest growth – from 24,000,000 arrivals in the previous year to 28,000,000 arrivals – 15% growth – does not look “unprecedented”.
****
WE, YOU and I are all in this together – not just by what we do, but by what we fail to do – a similar concept in criminal law uses the term crime of omission.
*****
Please disambiguate fire your mind.
A – terminate
B – blow your mind?
C – stimulate curiosity
D – an element like water, air
******
How do you want me to put this, bong?
Imagine the inner recesses of your brain. Kunyari kinuha ko lahat ung palito ng posporo sa box nito at ayon nandun sa brain ng isang tao. Tapos hawak ko ung empty box. In other words, everytime ung side surface ng empty box (how do we call it?) eh mairarub sa palito ng utak ng tao na un, what happens is – sisindi di ba? So what ignites (parang spark plug din) the match stick gives fire to it, right. So medyo un lang naman – for what could possibly fire your mind.
As to the other one, the idea it carried is loaded. I don’t mean that literally, it is loaded statement but I am not sure if that could amount to a satire. Somewhat like that, bong.
The word unprecedented, no debate bong. The point is all too clear.
Primer:
So when you said “Please don’t twist this further for what could possible fire your mind.”
You were saying ‘Please don’t twist this further for what can stimulate your mind? ignite your interest?
My head hurts trying to disambiguate dude.