Comelec junks appeal vs ruling on procurement of online voting system for 2025 midterm polls

MANILA, Philippines —The Commission on Elections (Comelec) denied for lack of merit the motion for reconsideration of a losing bidder to reverse its ruling declaring the joint venture of SMS Global as the winning bidder for the procurement of Online Voting and Voting System which will be used for overseas voting in the 2025 midterm polls.

In a resolution, the Comelec-Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC), said the request for reconsideration of VOATZ-EPLDT-EBIZ joint venture to disqualify the winning bidder did not possess all the qualifications and none of the disqualification as required under the bid.

«The instant request for reconsideration is bereft of merit,» it said.

Movant claimed that the joint venture of SMS Global failed to comply with certain technical requirements of the bidding documents.

But the Comelec-SBAC said that after a careful review and re-evaluation of the requirements submitted and presented by SMS Global, the Committee doubted that «it complied with all the technical, and financial requirements of this procurement project...»

The project has a total approved budget of P465,810,926.57.

SMS Global winning bid amounted to P112 million, while VOATZ tendered P435,528,878.