Comelec chief, 7 others charged with graft

MANILA, Philippines — Graft charges were filed yesterday against Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia and seven other Comelec officials over the allegedly anomalous awarding of an P18-billion contract to a South Korean company as service provider for the 2025 elections.

In a 10-page affidavit filed before the ombudsman, former Caloocan congressman Edgar Erice charged Garcia for violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Also named respondents were Allen Francis Abaya, chairman of the Comelec special bids and awards committee for automated election systems and director of the electoral contest and adjudication department, SBAC-AES vice chairman John Rex Laudiangco as well as SBAC-AES members Divina Blas-Perez, Jovencio Balanquit, Abigail Claire Llacuna, Celia Romero and Efraim Bag-id.

Erice’s complaint stemmed from the poll body’s awarding of a contract for the Full Automation System with Transparency Audit/Count (FASTrAC) project to a joint venture, which includes Miru Systems Co. Ltd.

The contract includes the lease of automated vote counting machines (VCMs), supply of software and other paraphernalia for the 2025 midterm elections.

Erice alleged that the bidding for the project was rigged in favor of Miru Systems.

He said Miru System was not yet into a joint venture with Intergrated Computer Systems, St. Timothy Construction Corp. and Centerpoint Solutions Technologies Inc. when it placed its bid for the project.

“Miru Systems only entered into the picture when the Comelec had issued a Notice of Award in its favor,” Erice said.

He added that Comelec still has an existing contract with Smartmatic for the refurbishment of VCMs it earlier purchased from the latter.

While the Comelec had declared that about 98,000 VCMs from Smartmatic are not usable, Erice said these machines are still covered by warranty stipulated under the contract.

“With the FASTrAC project, Chairman Garcia made the government spend again for the lease of VCMs,” the complaint read.

Garcia said he is ready to face the complaint filed against him.

“Buti nga may ganyan. At least walang disinformation na kinakalat,” Garcia said. “With the ombudsman, we expect a fair process.”

He said the complaint filed by Erice is part of the demolition job against him and the Comelec. —Mayen Jaymalin