Comelec not excluding Smartmatic in 2025 polls

MANILA, Philippines — Despite the controversy linking Smartmatic International to former poll chief Andres Bautista, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it has no plans of excluding the multinational company in the forthcoming procurement of the 2025 automated election system (AES).

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said they are not yet looking at blacklisting Smartmatic from the bidding process without any valid reason.

“The Comelec cannot disqualify based on speculations, rumors, accusations or allegations,” Garcia said in an interview. “Under Republic Act 9184, the grounds for disqualification are clear. It is hard to disqualify.”

Garcia is referring to the money laundering charges filed by the United States Department of Homeland Security against Bautista. The latter served as Comelec chief from April 2015 to October 2017.

The report said the money laundered through US accounts are allegedly bribes given to Bautista by top executives of an unnamed poll technology company, with the firm Smartmatic being linked.

However, Garcia is not ruling out the possibility of blacklisting Smartmatic in future public biddings.
He cited a pending petition to disqualify Smartmatic from joining the forthcoming public bidding for the 2025 AES filed by former poll commissioner Augusto Lagman, former Department of Information and Communications Technology secretary Eliseo Rio, retired Col. Leonardo Odoño and former Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines president Franklin Ysaac.

“As of the moment, there is a petition filed before us looking to disqualify the said company. We are continuously evaluating this matter,” the poll chief said.
“The Commission en banc will be looking at the appropriate action we should take before we begin the procurement process,” Garcia added.

Smartmatic has been the automation partner of the Comelec since the 2010 polls. The voting technology company has expressed intention to continue the partnership with the Comelec come the 2025 automated polls by joining the forthcoming public bidding.