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Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia, October 11, 2023. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File 

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Comelec Chairman George Garcia

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<div> </div><div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/20231011-kontra-bigay-program-comelec-dilg-MT-1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia, October 11, 2023. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File  </div><div> </div>The Commission on Elections (Comelec) apologized to the House of Representatives for the absence of South Korean firm Miru Systems Company Limited in Tuesday&#x27;s hearing on the preparations for the 2025 midterm elections. Miru was originally scheduled to do a demonstration of its machine before members of the Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, but it was cancelled by <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Comelec  <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Chairman George Garcia the day before saying the machines still needed to undergo customization.<div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/13/seniors-pwds-attend-comelec-satellite-registration-in-qc-851">Seniors, PWDs attend Comelec satellite registration in QC</a></div>Some lawmakers were irked by the absence of Miru.Miru won the <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">P17.9-billion contract to provide the hardware, software, and election management system under the Full Automation System with Transparency Audit/Count (FASTrAC). The project includes 110,000 automated counting machines.“Humihingi tayo ng dispensa sa, on behalf na lang po ng Miru, sa atin pong kagalang-galang na mga miyembro ng House of Representatives. Subalit, wala po talagang intensiyon ‘yun na bastusin o ibalewala ang kapangyarihan po ng ating Kongreso,” Garcia said in an interview.(On behalf of Miru, we apologize to our honorable members of the House of Representatives. But there was really no intention to disrespect or disregard the power of Congress.)<div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/29/24/comelec-suspends-peoples-initiative-proceedings">Comelec suspends people&#x27;s initiative proceedings</a></div>“Mahirap po kasi na basta kami makapag-demo, baka po kasi asahan ng lahat, lalo na po ng ating mga kagalang-galang na kongresista, na ‘yun na ang pinakapinal…na ‘yun na yung pinaka-end ng makina. Hindi po. Kaya nga po magkakaroon pa tayo ng customization phase na ibig sabihin ‘yun, lahat po ang mga suhestiyon ng mga pagbabago na mga dapat ilagay, eh atin na pong ilalagay lahat,” he said. (It is difficult to just conduct a demo because others might think, especially our honorable lawmakers, that that is the final machine. It is not. This is why there will be a customization phase, which means all the suggestions, all the changes that must be placed will be included.)The customization is set to begin in April and is expected to finish in September.<div>ALLEGATIONS VS MIRU</div>The poll chief also explained that they could not factor in rumors regarding alleged anomalies in elections conducted by Miru in other countries such as Congo and Iraq in the evaluation of its qualification.In the House hearing, Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez asserted that <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Comelec should have gotten the side of organizations that reported negatively on the conduct of elections in Congo. The poll body based its decision on a certification obtained from the Electoral Management Body of Congo.The Comelec, meanwhile, used a statement from the United Nations Assistance Mission of Iraq saying the elections went well. Rodriguez responded to this by saying some political leaders countered the said statement.But Garcia said, “Napakahirap po na magtiwala sa social media lang.&quot; &quot;Samantala ‘yung natanggap po namin, isang official certification, una sa Iraq, galing sa United Nations, pangalawa sa mismong electoral commission. Para pong <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Comelec, kami ang nag-certify, alangan naman po hindi namin pagkatiwalaan ‘yun sapagkat yun po ay isang official na body o opisyal na entity,” he added. (It is very hard to rely on social media alone when the document we received is an official certification first from Iraq, from the United Nations, and secondly, from the electoral commission itself. It is similar to <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Comelec, when we certify, we cannot not trust it because that is an official entity.)He added that they have not received any official document questioning the certification and statement.Addressing alleged problematic elections in Argentina and Kyrgyzstan, he said, “Kapag nakarinig ng mga chismis na ganon, kikilos sila base sa chismis? Para pong unfair ‘yun… It should always be based on credible evidence.”(When you hear rumors like that, will they act based on rumors? That seems unfair… It should always be based on credible evidence. )He denied that the bidding was tailorfit for Miru.“Diyos ang aking saksi, wala pong katotohanan yung mga tailor fitting na yan. Bakit po? Labing isang beses po namin ni-revise ang mismong TOR (Terms of Reference) at alam po ‘yan ng Namfrel at PPCRV, Participate at iba pa pong mga organizations…So ibig sabihin, yan pong TOR namin o yung wishlist kung anong gusto naming makina ay produkto ng pagsasamasama ng kaalaman, hindi lamang ng Comelec kundi ng mga partners natin,” Garcia stated.(The Lord is my witness, there is no truth to that tailor fitting. Why? We revised the TOR 11 times and the Namfrel and PPCRV, Participate and other organizations know that. So that means, our TOR or our wish list on what we want to see on the machine is a product of the union of knowledge, not only of <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Comelec, but also of our partners.”)“Ang tailor fitting, may makina sila, may makina yung kumpanya, pagkatapos ay gagawin mo ang TOR,” he said.(In tailor fitting, they have a machine, a company has a machine, and then you make the TOR.)He said the Commission on Audit and election watchdogs such as the National Citizens&#x27; Movement For Free Elections (Namfrel) and Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) did not object to anything during the proceedings.Garcia said anyone was welcome to question their processes before the Supreme Court.The Comelec committed to conducting a demonstration next week with members of Miru set to attend.

Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia apologized to the House of Representatives for the absence of South Korean firm Miru Systems Company Limited in a hearing on Tuesday on the preparations for the 2025 midterm elections.

Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia apologized to the House of Representatives for the absence of South Korean firm Miru Systems Company Limited in a hearing on Tuesday on the preparations for the 2025 midterm elections.

Comelec apologizes to lawmakers for absence of S. Korean firm in hearing

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Comelec apologizes to lawmakers for absence of S. Korean firm in hearing

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 13, 2024 03:08 PM PHT

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Comelec

Commission on Elections

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