Another multi-million government project left to rot, the Commission on Audit (CoA)said,  scoring the House of Representatives for not using a P15 million electronic plenary voting apparatus that could have easily resolved a number of controversies affecting House decisions on vital legislative measures and remove suspicion issues affecting quorum.
CoA made its observation in its the 2010 annual audit report on the Lower House posted on its Web site belatedly this month, a few days after its officials presented their 2013 budget for deliberation by Congress.‘
The state auditors also revealed that aside from the biometric electronic voting apparatus/system that was purchased for P14,776,785.61, the Lower Chamber had yet to put in use an x-ray baggage inspection machine and a walk-through metal detector that had cost it some P3.3 million.
However, it was gathered from House security personnel that the two state-of-the-art detection machines were already in use.
CoA auditors reminded leaders of the Lower House that they can be held liable for not utilizing the equipment.
“While we appreciate the advantages that the equipment could give, we wonder why its installation and utilization were not prioritized by the present administration,” the state auditors observed.
The CoA asked the House leadership to explain why the equipment had not been used, adding that the chamber should make “concrete plans” to utilize them immediately.
Purchased from the Infobahn Communications Inc. during the term of former Speaker Jose de Venecia, the biometric electronic voting apparatus/system was installed in the plenary hall but was never used. The entire floor of the plenary hall was even dismantled just to run the wirings around the session hall.
However, upon testing, de Venecia reported, the computerized voting system suffered a serious computer glitch before it could even be used, having failed to give the accurate result of the voting.
The finding was confirmed by de Venecia’s successor, 14th Congress Speaker Prospero Nograles.
The CoA report did not confirm whether or not full payment was made although it is believed from audit findings that the Infobahn contract was settled. However, this was refuted by House sources who claimed that payment to Infobahn was withheld as a result of “the defects to the delivered voting mechanism.”
An Waray Rep. Florencio “BEm” Noel, chairman of the House committee on accounts, disclosed that only 250 voting mechanisms were delivered, indicating that even if these were working, they could not be used by the 283-member legislative chamber.
Auditors stressed the importance of installing an electronic voting system in the Lower House, such as the customized biometric electronic voting system that Infobahn delivered.
“Adopting this kind of system will lead to a more democratic and more transparent observance of voting in the House plenary that will be manifested thru reliable, secure and real-time counting of votes,” the audit report said.
“Moreover, the system will also provide equally significant features such as vote statistics, verification, checking the attendance of House members during congressional session and archiving that may be used in the review of voting activities and in providing public information,” CoA auditors added.
But despite the adverse findings, CoA nonetheless congratulated officials of the chamber for their efforts in reducing its unliquidated cash advances.
Of the total still unjustified cash advances of P10.9 million, a total P2,388,028.06 belong to incumbent congressmen.