The Commission on Elections is purchasing more than 75,000 ballot boxes for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on October 31.
In a bid bulletin, the Bids and Awards Committee of the Comelec said that P206.9 million has been allotted under the Approved Budget of the Contract for the supply and delivery of 75,253 ballot boxes.
The poll was originally planning to purchase 233,500 ballot boxes with an ABC of P642 million.
Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon had earlier said that the bidding for the ballot boxes was put on hold as there may be around 133,000 ballot boxes that can still be used for the upcoming polls.
In a separate bid bulletin, the BAC also revealed that the procurement for the printing and delivery of envelopes for voting and counting for the village and youth polls has been canceled and that a new Invitation to Bid for the procurement will be posted accordingly.
Based on Republic Act No. 9164, the election for barangay officials shall be held on the last Monday of October and every three years thereafter.
Republic Act No. 10656, on the other hand, mandated the deferment of the 2013 SK polls to the last Monday of October 2016. (Leslie Ann G. Aquino)