The Commission on Elections has signed a P535.99-million contract with F2 Logistics, a firm linked to businessman Dennis Uy, for the distribution of vote-counting machines, ballots, and other election paraphernalia for next year’s synchronized polls.
The 32-page contract was signed on October 29 by Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas and F2 Logistics president Efren Uy, president of F2 Logistics.
F2 bested LBC Express, 2Go Express, and Airspeed International in securing the logistics deal.
Uy, a major contributor to President Rodrigo Duterte’s 2016 presidential campaign, is the chairman of F2 logistics.
The agreement covers four areas: the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon for P106 million; Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Bicol Region for P123 million; Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas for P120.9 million; and Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, Caraga and Bangsamoro region for P185.9 million.
Poll watchdog Kontra Daya earlier appealed to Comelec to pull out from the contract because of the company’s links to a Duterte ally, which it said could pose a “potential conflict of interest.”
“This is different because it is the presidential election. Like what was said before, Dennis Uy contributed P30 million to Duterte’s presidential campaign in 2016. This isn’t an issue of legality. It’s an issue of propriety. It should be canceled so that there will be no potential conflict of interest,” said Kontra Daya convenor Danilo Arao.
Detained senator Leila de Lima earlier filed a Senate resolution seeking an inquiry into Comelec’s decision to award the contract to F2 Logistics.
“Even a whiff of cronyism and the slightest accusation of possible corruption must warrant public concern for these to threaten the people’s right of suffrage,” the senator said in a statement from Camp Crame in August.
