MANILA—A poll watchdog on Monday called on the cancellation of the P536-million delivery contract awarded by the Commission on Elections to a logistics firm linked to President Rodrigo Duterte's major campaign donor.

While the deal bagged by the Dennis Uy-linked F2 Logistics is "legal," it undermines the integrity of the May 2022 elections, which will decide Duterte's successor, Kontra Daya said.

"Hindi na to usapin ng legality. Usapin na po ito ng propriety. Para mawala 'yung agam-agam, dapat ma-cancel na itong kontrata at i-award dun sa isa pang kompanya na walang potential conflict of interest," the group's convenor Prof. Danilo Arao told TeleRadyo.

(It's not about legality anymore. It's about propriety. To erase all doubts, the contract should be cancelled and awarded to another company with no potential conflict of interest.)

According to a copy of the 32-page deal posted on Comelec's website, the poll body on Oct. 29 signed a contract with F2 Logistics to transport election paraphernalia and to store election machines that would be used for the 2022 polls.

Under the deal, the company will transport election equipment, peripherals, forms, supplies and paraphernalia to Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon for P106 million; to Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and Bicol for P123 million; to regions in the Visayas for P121 million; and to regions in Mindanao for P186 million.

F2 Logistics bested LBC Express, Airspeed International, and 2GO Express, Inc. for the contract, which was set at a maximum of P1.61 billion.

Uy has yet to admit or deny his alleged ownership of F2, but corporate documents indicate the logistics firm is under his business portfolio.

ABS-CBN News has obtained an annual report of Phoenix Petroleum Philippines submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2020, where it listed F2 Logistics as a subsidiary of Udenna Management & Resources Corp., under the parent company Udenna Corporation in which Uy sits as chairman and president.

Uy was the fourth largest campaign donor to Duterte's 2016 presidential bid.

• P334M from only 13 donors funded Duterte's presidency

While F2 Logistics has previously secured Comelec's delivery contracts in the 2018 and 2019 elections, Arao said the poll body should heed concerns, just like how it extended the voter registration amid public pressure.

• Extended voter registration period yields 400,000 add'l registrants: Comelec
• In 2022 polls, Comelec packed with Duterte appointees - group

Election watchdogs and critics have already raised concern that the Comelec would all be filled with Duterte appointees during the 2022 elections.

"Hindi lang 'yung agam-agam sa F2 Logistics. Parang pumatong pa dun sa pagkarami-raming agam-agam hinggil sa clean and transparent elections or clean and honest elections na gusto sana nating mangyari sa 2022," Arao said.

(The concern on F2 Logistics compounded on many others over having a clean, transparent and honest elections that we want to happen in 2022.)

The Comelec previously said the selection of F2 Logistics for the delivery contract was aboveboard.

• Selection of F2 for P1.61B Halalan 2022 contract aboveboard: Comelec