Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel III raised concerns about the exorbitant rental rates for the so-called “modern automatic counting machines” (ACMs) proposed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to be used for the 2025 National and Local Elections.
“Under the proposed budget of the Comelec for the next fiscal year, a substantial portion amounting to P19.799 billion is allocated for the rental of these 127,740 ACMs, each costing P155,000 to lease, for the implementation of the 2025 midterm election,” Pimentel said.
The veteran legislator said that the rental rate of P155,000 per ACM is excessively high, especially when considering the financial challenges faced by the government, including a huge budget deficit.
“To spend nearly P20 billion on the rental of automatic counting machines, with each machine costing P155,000 just to lease, is simply not wise, given our current financial situation.”
“To spend nearly P20 billion on the rental of automatic counting machines, with each machine costing P155,000 just to lease, is simply not wise, given our current financial situation,” the seasoned lawmaker noted.
The Senate chief fiscalizer also questioned why the price tag ballooned to P155,000 per unit from P70,000 based on the previous pronouncement of the commission.
“Why did it balloon to P155,000 per unit when the Comelec said last year the rent would only be P70,000 per unit?” the senator asked.
“The commission had firmly set the rental price at P70,000 per unit just last year.”
Citing the earlier pronouncement made by Comelec both in the Senate and through various media outlets, he underscored that the commission had firmly set the rental price at P70,000 per unit just last year.
Furthermore, Pimentel emphasized that Comelec had previously indicated a requirement for only 97,000 ACMs to facilitate the upcoming midterm elections.
“It suddenly increased by 121%. That’s quite a dramatic increase. I think Comelec has a lot of explaining to do,” he added.
