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Watchdog urges thorough background check of Korean firm bidding for AES deal

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Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News 

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Comelec Board of election Inspectors and poll clerks begin the counting of ballots as voting ends at the Paranaque Elementary School Central in Paranaque City on October 30, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2024/news/01/07/20231030-bske-2023-paranaque-jc-7.jpg"/><figcaption>Comelec Board of election Inspectors and poll clerks begin the counting of ballots as voting ends at the Paranaque Elementary School Central in Paranaque City on October 30, 2023. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Election watchdog Democracy Watch Philippines on Saturday warned the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to be wary of tapping South Korean-based firm Miru Systems Co. Ltd. in the automated elections for 2025, saying its background check on the firm must be thorough. </p><p>In a statement, Democracy Watch, an observer for the poll body’s procurement process in next year’s elections, said “polls failed” in 3 countries where Miru conducted automated elections due to issues on voting machines. </p><p>&quot;We urge the Comelec to give Miru&#x27;s track record a thorough once-over as part of its due diligence, as it should with all suppliers. It might want to investigate the company&#x27;s alleged links to controversies in Congo and Argentina,” said Democracy Watch. </p><p>Miru Systems claims on its website that it has also participated in automated elections in Iraq, Ecuador and in Kyrgyzstan.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/14/23/lone-bidder-for-2025-automated-polls-ineligible-comelec">Lone bidder for 2025 automated polls &#x27;ineligible&#x27;: Comelec</a></li></ul><p>“Such concerns over hacking vulnerabilities and vote manipulation are so grave as to have prompted watchdog groups and independent experts to flag many fatal weaknesses in Miru&#x27;s technology publicly,&quot; it added. </p><p>&quot;We trust that the Comelec will raise these issues in the interest of ensuring the integrity of the 2025 elections. We cannot have counting machines failing at such a massive scale, as this would cause political instability in the country.” </p><div><strong>DISQUALIFIED IN 2023 BIDDING</strong></div><p>Democracy Watch, which has been holding voters&#x27; education activities since 2016, issued the same sentiment last <a href="https://web.facebook.com/photo?fbid=737340735093913&amp;set=a.220550283439630">Dec</a>. 23, where it urged Comelec to “act with utmost prudence.” </p><p>In declaring Miru ineligible for next year’s automated polls, Comelec said it lacked English translations for its supporting documents. </p><p>It added that the bidder submitted an &quot;incomplete undertaking to enter into a joint venture&quot; with Filipino companies Integrated Computer Systems, St. Timothy Construction Corporation, and Centerpoint Solutions Technologies, Inc.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/19/23/11-companies-may-bid-for-election-machines-in-2025-polls">11 companies expected to bid for election machines in 2025 midterm polls</a></li></ul><p>Miru was the lone bidder for the 2025 automated election system but the Comelec found it &quot;ineligible” in mid-December last year. The firm, however, can still join the second round and just cure the deficiencies in their documents, Comelec said.</p><div><strong>SECOND ROUND OF BIDDING</strong></div><p>Comelec is set to hold its second round of bidding for the automated polls on Monday. Comelec Spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said opening of bids may be done in a day. </p><p>Laudiangco said the process would not stop there. </p><p>“Pagkatapos po nito at isasagawa ang mandatory Post Qualification Evaluation kung saan ay ivavalidate at iveverufy ang lahat ng dokumentong naisubmit sa eligibility check pati na rin ang comiance sa lahat ng technical specifications ng FASTrAC,” he said on Tuesday. </p><p>“Batay sa rules, may 7 hanggang 30 days po mula sa declaration ng Bidder with the Lowest Calculated Bid ang pag-verify, validate at test ng Legal, Technical and Financial Requirements,” he added. </p><p>If the bidder with the lowest calculated bid passes post-qualification evaluation, Comelec can move forward with issuing the notice of award, contract, and notice to proceed. </p><p>London-headquartered Smartmatic had been the provider of vote-counting machines since the Philippines shifted to automated elections in 2010.</p><p>The Comelec in November said the firm was disqualified from all future procurements. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2887039" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Miru was the lone bidder for the 2025 automated election system but the Comelec found it 'ineligible” in mid-December last year.

Watchdog urges thorough background check of Korean firm bidding for AES deal

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Watchdog urges thorough background check of Korean firm bidding for AES deal

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 07, 2024 08:17 AM PHT

Read More:

Democracy Watch Philippines

Comelec

Commission on Elections bidding

2025 elections

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