MANILA (2nd UPDATE) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday declared the lone bidder for the 2025 automated election system "ineligible."

The lone bidder, a joint venture led by Korean company Miru Systems Co., Ltd., lacked English translation for its supporting documents, the Comelec said.

It added that the bidder submitted an "incomplete undertaking to enter into a joint venture" with Filipino companies Integrated Computer Systems, St. Timothy Construction Corporation, and Centerpoint Solutions Technologies, Inc.

Miru was the only bidder during the opening of bids for the lease of the Full Automation System with Transparency Audit/Count (FASTrAC) project for the midterm polls, according to Comelec.

The FASTrAC project includes the bidding for automated counting machines, ballots, canvassing, and other materials that will be used for voting. There will be a separate bidding for transmission and internet voting.

This forced Comelec to declare "first failure of competitive bidding" for the P18.827-billion contract.

When a lone bidder turns out to be ineligible and a failure of bidding is declared, the Comelec conducts a mandatory review of bidding documents and terms of reference to determine problems, Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco earlier said.

He said the poll body would then issue fresh terms of reference and launch a second round of public bidding.

The second round of bidding will most likely be held in January, said Laudiangco, who is also the vice chairperson of the Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC).

Miru can still join the second round and just cure the deficiencies in their documents, he said.

SMARTMATIC

The Comelec earlier in the day said Smartmatic tried to submit its bid documents, but these were not accepted by the poll body's Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) as there was still no restraining order on the company's disqualification.

Smartmatic has filed a petition for a temporary restraining order with the Supreme Court, but a decision has not yet been released.

• Smartmatic disqualified from Comelec procurements: Garcia

A Smartmatic representative requested an explanation for why their bid was rejected.

Smartmatic has been the provider of vote-counting machines since the Philippines shifted to automated elections in 2010. The Comelec in November said the firm was disqualified from all future procurements.

If Smartmatic gets a TRO from the Supreme Court, Laudiangco said the decision would determine whether or not the technology provider could still participate in the bidding.

"Titingnan nang maigi ng SBAC 'yung nakalagay sa TRO. Remember ang general tenor ng temporary restraining order is to restrain an intended activity," he said. "Susunod at susunod po ang Comelec sa anumang pinag-uutos ng Korte Suprema."

(The SBAC will carefully examine what is stated in the TRO. Remember, the general purpose of a temporary restraining order is to restrain an intended activity. The Comelec will comply with any order issued by the Supreme Court.)

Another firm, Pivot International, attempted to participate in Thursday's bidding. But it later said it deemed it inappropriate to offer a bid.