The Commission on Elections on Tuesday said it has put in place several safeguards to ensure the vote-counting machines are not tampered amid concerns raised over the logistics firm that bagged the contract to transport the VCMs.
Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, in a series of tweets, gave the assurance as poll watchdogs and lawmakers have flagged the P535.99-million contract with F2 Logistics, a firm linked to businessman Dennis Uy, for the distribution of vote-counting machines, ballots and other election paraphernalia for next year’s synchronized polls.
Uy, a major contributor to President Rodrigo Duterte’s 2016 presidential campaign, is the chairman of F2 logistics.
“At no point is the logistics provider able to tamper with the election outcome, either because of process safeguards (like the zero-report) or the fact that the VCMs have practically nothing to do with the results once the results have been reported out,” Jimenez said.
He said after the VCMs are delivered, the machines will undergo final testing and sealing up to three days before May 9 to check if they are working properly.
After the VCMs transmit the election returns, the main memory card will be hand-carried by the electoral board to the municipal canvassing system.
The machines will then be packed and returned to the deployment hubs, Jimenez said.
But for Senator Risa Hontiveros, the contract between Comelec and F2 Logistics must be scrutinized.
“Consider how Uy has snagged two national ‘crown jewels’ – the third telco franchise and Malampaya. Isn’t it a conflict of interest for a Dennis Uy company to handle the logistics for the crucial 2022 elections?”
“How do we assure different sectors that the contract will not result in possible undue influence vis a vis the conduct of the vote? At the very least, this contract has to be scrutinized,” Hontiveros said.