WITH preparations for the 2019 automated midterm election already under way, a poll watchdog urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to junk its deal with Smartmatic International for its vote-counting machines (VCMs).
The National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) said it supports the call of the minority bloc in the House of Representatives in compelling the Comelec to change its provider of machines for the automated elections due to Smartmatic’s alleged lack of transparency in its services in previous polls.
Namfrel Chairman Gus Lagman said the incidents caused unnecessary doubts in the outcome of the elections since 2010.
“It makes sense. Smartmatic’s VCM is not transparent, as required by law,” Lagman said.
Lagman urged the Comelec to start looking for an alternative technology, such as hybrid technology, which he has been advocating.
In a hybrid system, only the canvassing of election results will be electronically done, while the voting and counting will still be conducted manually.
“This should be among the options, if they’re seriously looking for the best alternative,” Lagman said.
In a media forum last week, House Minority Leader Danilo E. Suarez and Deputy Minority Leader and Party-list Rep. Lito Atienza of Buhay threatened to reject the Comelec’s 2019 budget unless it changes its voting machine provider.
Suarez and Atienza cited the pending electoral protest of former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. against Vice President Leonora “Leni” Robredo. In his protest, Marcos claimed Robredo won after Smartmatic tampered with the Comelec’s transparency server.
The Comelec’s latest transaction with Smartmatic involves the purchase last December of 97,000 VCMs, which it leased for the 2016 elections.
The VCMs, bought by the Comelec for P2.1 billion, will be used again in the May 13, 2019, elections.