THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday served public warning it will not hesitate to prosecute and punish those who would undermine the integrity and credibility of the elections.
Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia raised the warning during the signing of the P17.98-billion contract for the full automation of the country’s electoral processes with South Korean service provider Miru Systems Inc. headed by its president Jinbok Chung.
The deal was called Full AutomationTransparency Audit/Count (FASTrAC) project.
The contract was award to Miru despite a call from a party-list congresswoman for the postponement of the event, citing concerns over the vote-counting machines to be used in the forthcoming elections.
Garcia emphasized that electoral sabotage is a non-bailable offense punishable with life imprisonment under Republic Act 9369 or the Election Automation Law of 2007.
He also warned Miru and its Filipino partners against politicians and political parties who might approach them to rig the polls.
“Inemphasize ko sa kanila, kung kaya nyo gawin yan, huwag na huwag nyo gawin yan under the present leadership of this Commission. We want ang pinaka maayos na elections, credible, pinaka pinagkakatiwalaan election ng 2025. Sabi ko kung gusto nyo pa mag participate sa mga susunod na procurement ng Comelec, ayusin nyo 2025 elections (I emphasized to them ‘if you can do that, never do it under the present leadership of the Commission. We want the 2025 elections to be most organized, credible and reliable. I told them, ‘if you want to participate in future procurements of the Comelec, make sure that the 2025 elections would be smooth),” Garcia said in conjunction with the contract signing rites.
He said Miru must prove to the Filipinos that it deserves to handle the poll automation by establishing a highly credible and transparent system.
Chung vowed to comply with the rules set by the Philippine government Garcia also acknowledged the support of the South Korean government for the poll automation project.
“We are pleased with the presence of the South Korean ambassador (Lee Sang-hwa) because it proves that he is supportive of this endeavor and we can trust the company that we have as partners simply because the government of Korea is very supportive of this endeavor,” he said.
Garcia, meanwhile, said they are coordinating with law enforcement authorities against hackers who might manipulate the polls.
“We have sent a request to the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) asking them to arrest or prevent these people from carrying out their illegal acts. I think their plans were pre-empted),” he said.
The Comelec is poised to set in motion the customization of the automated counting machines (ACMs) next month. The process is expected to take at least six months.
“Our goal is also to build up our company and to expand and we’re looking towards the future. We will not do anything that will jeopardize our future and also the election process of the Philippines. We promise, we can guarantee that we will be transparent all throughout the process. We will abide by the rules of the Comelec, of this nation,” Chung said in Korean language.
Under the contract, the joint venture of Miru Systems Co Ltd, Integrated Computer Systems, St. Timothy Construction Corporation, and Centerpoint Solutions Technologies, Inc. (MIRU-ICS-STCC-CPSTI) will provide 110,000 ACMs, ballot boxes; laptops and printers; and ballots..
The award of the contract to the Miru-led consortium came more than two weeks after the Comelec announced that Miru was the lone bidder for the project.
Earlier, several lawmakers, election watchdogs, and other groups urged Comelec to review the track record of Miru in the procurement of the new AES for the 2025 national and local polls, citing its alleged “catastrophic failures” and “questioned” projects in Iraq and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Miru Systems denied the allegations. The company is working with Integrated Computer Systems and St. Timothy Construction Corporation and Centerpoint Solutions Technologies, Inc. to deliver the services.
The partnership between Comelec and Miru Systems marks the first time that the Philippines will hold computerized elections without the participation of Smartmatic International, which the poll body en banc “disqualified and disallowed” last year from participating in any public bidding process.
House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro, the nominee of the ACT Teachers party-list group, in a statement said her concerns were born out of “the critical failures experienced by Miru voting machines during elections in Congo and Iraq.”
Castro also called for an immediate legislative investigation into the selection process and demanded that the Comelec defers the granting of the contract.
She added that the past failures of Miru voting machines in other countries highlight the significant risks associated with their use in the Philippine electoral system. “The potential for manipulation and
corruption poses a grave threat to the democratic process and the country’s stability.”
In addition, she said concerns have been raised regarding the sole lone bidder status of Miru for the Philippine election contract, raising suspicions of collusion or preferential treatment. “Tailoring terms of reference to fit the capabilities of a specific vendor suggests potential corruption within the procurement process, undermining fairness and transparency.”
Reacting to Miru’s defense, Castro said that mere certification of completion does not guarantee the effectiveness or reliability of voting machines in real-world elections. Thorough testing and evaluation in actual election scenarios are crucial before widespread implementation.