MANILA — In a significant development, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Wednesday (29 Nov 2023) that it has disqualified Smartmatic, the voting technology company, from participating in any future procurements conducted by the poll body.
Smartmatic, which has been the provider of vote-counting machines in the Philippines since the shift to automated elections in 2010, now faces exclusion from upcoming electoral technology contracts.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia emphasized that the decision to disqualify Smartmatic was not influenced by a petition alleging irregularities in the 2022 polls.
The petition, filed by the group led by former Information and Communications Technology Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio, Jr., aimed to prevent Smartmatic from bidding for the 2025 automated election system.
“It’s not based on the allegations of Rio and company. We have to maintain the integrity of our electoral process. Para sa bayan,” Garcia stated, underlining the commitment to safeguarding the electoral system.
Smartmatic, in response, stated that it has not received official notification of the decision.
The company asserted its clean record, highlighting that it has never been indicted in the United States or any other country for any election-related contracts throughout its 23-year history.
“We urge Comelec officials to conduct this search independently and to show to the public any indictment against Smartmatic. We are confident that there is no such indictment in the United States,” the company declared.
The disqualification comes amid ongoing controversies, including the United States government seeking assistance from Comelec in a money laundering case involving former poll chief Andy Bautista.
Both Smartmatic and Garcia have vehemently denied the allegations, with the company emphasizing its consistent adherence to all of Comelec’s procurement processes during biddings and contract execution.
(ai/mnm)