The Commission on Elections disqualified technology provider Smartmatic from participating in “all Comelec procurement activities,” poll chairman George Garcia said on Wednesday.
“We have to maintain the integrity of our electoral process. For thecountry and for the people,” Garcia said in explaining the poll body’s decision to disqualify Smartmatic.
The Comelec said Smartmatic failed to comply with certain minimum system capabilities that resulted in serious and grave irregularities in the transmission and receipt of election return during the 2022 polls.
The petition against the technology provider was filed by former DICT Secretary Eliseo Rio, retired Col. Leonardo Odoño, and former Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines president Franklin Ysaac.
The petitioners argued that Smartmatic should be disqualified since the May 2022 polls were marred by “serious and material irregularities,” particularly in the transmission and reception of election results.
The Comelec said Smartmatic can still appeal the decision.
“It is hard to say what their remedy should be. It’s for their lawyers to decide,” Garcia said.
Smartmatic, for its part, said the accusations against them are “unfounded” and that the petitioners “lacked evidence.”
“The petitioners’ clear objective is both political, attempting to delegitimize the government; and commercial, supporting Smartmatic competitors. These claims are unfounded, presented as facts but lacking any evidence,” Smartmatic said.