Comelec reg'l director defends VIS printing transaction
Commission on Elections (Comelec) regional director Renato Magbutay merely laughed off the accusation of newspaper publisher Daniel Fajardo that there is irregularity in the transaction relative to the printing of over 3.6 million Voters Information Sheet (VIS) for Western Visayas.
"I'll face him in court," said Magbutay of Fajardo's threat to file administrative and criminal charges against him and Makinaugalingon Press owner and this paper's Chairman of the Board Rosendo Mejica II.
Mejica represented nine other printers in Iloilo City, including Panay News which Fajardo owns, in the transaction to print the VIS.
Each printer was given their share of the job depending on their production capability. (See related story)
Fajardo, in a radio interview, alleged that the transaction was illegal since no bidding was conducted.
Magbutay, however, defended that the transaction was above board. It was made under a negotiated contract as per advise contained in a Comelec en banc resolution since there was limited time left.
The Comelec resolution came out April 24 or barely three weeks before the election day. Based on the agreement the printing of the VIS should be completed May 5 so that there would still be time to have it distributed in the various municipalities and cities.
Magbutay said that based on the law the VIS is supposed to be sent to registered voters 30 days before election but its printing was delayed because of the late finalization of the official list of candidates for various positions.
He added that there is also no need for the conduct of bidding as the transaction price was pegged by the Comelec at a fixed price of P2.50 per set.
Magbutay added that the contract was awarded to the Iloilo Printing Industry Association of which Mejica is president.
The distribution of the job among the various printers was left with the group, he said.