ACT Teacher Party-list Rep. France Castro seeks a probe into the P17.99-billion agreement signed between the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and South Korean firm Miru Systems Co. Ltd. (Miru Systems) for the 2025 elections. INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The House of Representatives was asked to scrutinize the agreement on the provision of an automated system for the 2025 elections.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) just signed a P17.99-billion deal with South Korean firm Miru Systems Co. Ltd. (Miru Systems) for the service. However, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro noted that the foreign consortium鈥檚 similar projects in other countries, such as Congo and Iraq, had issues that led to questionable poll results.
鈥淭he incidents in Congo and Iraq revealed alarming technical glitches, malfunctioning hardware, and software errors that resulted in inaccurate vote counts and delays in reporting election results,鈥� Castro said Monday. 鈥淪uch failures undermine the reliability and integrity of the electoral process, erode public trust, and have the potential to incite political chaos and unrest.鈥�
鈥淭he past failures of Miru voting machines in other countries highlight the significant risks associated with their use in the Philippine electoral system. The potential for manipulation and corruption poses a grave threat to the democratic process and the country鈥檚 stability,鈥� she added.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia previously said that the poll body鈥檚 Special Bids and Awards Committee was aware of the concerns about Miru Systems but still recommended the awarding of the contract because Comelec was able to receive 鈥渃ertifications from the electoral commission of Congo and the UN [United Nations] for [the elections in] Iraq.鈥�
READ: Comelec: Still no bidders for overseas online voting system
But aside from the issues hounding Congo and Iraq, Castro also questioned why Miru Systems was left as the lone bidder for the 2025 automated elections. Last January, Miru Systems remained the lone bidder in the second bidding for the automated system, as it was the only company that submitted a proposal out of six applicants.
鈥淔urthermore, concerns have been raised regarding the sole lone bidder status of Miru for the Philippine election contract, raising suspicions of collusion or preferential treatment. Tailoring terms of reference to fit the capabilities of a specific vendor suggests potential corruption within the procurement process, undermining fairness and transparency,鈥� Castro claimed.
鈥淢ere certification of completion does not guarantee the effectiveness or reliability of voting machines in real-world elections. Thorough testing and evaluation in actual election scenarios are crucial before widespread implementation,鈥� she added.
During the bidding process led by Comelec鈥檚 Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC), it was announced that the following six companies bought bidding documents:
- Dominion Voting Systems
- Indra Philippines Incorporated
- AMA Group Holdings Corporation
- Electiontech Consultant and Management, Incorporated
- SMMT-TIM 2016, Incorporated
- Miru Systems Company Limited
However, only the joint venture of Miru Systems and Transparency Audit/Count (Fastrac) submitted the documents.
READ: South Korean firm still sole bidder in Comelec鈥檚 2025 automated system
Castro was not the only one raising doubts over the Comelec-Miru Systems deal.
In a hearing House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms in February, former Caloocan lawmaker and Aksyon Demokratiko representative Edgar Erice warned that Miru Systems would be using a prototype 鈥� a system not yet used in any of the elections it handled.
Erice said doing so may violate Republic Act No. 9369 or the Election Automation Law of 2007.
In the same hearing, the Alliance of Networks and National Organizations for Monitoring Elections also claimed that 70 percent of the voting stations in Iraq, which Miru Systems handled, faced issues during the first round of voting, leading to a manual vote count.
The group also stressed that reputable institutions in Congo said that 45.1 percent of polling stations encountered problems with the electronic voting machines provided by Miru Systems, resulting in substantial delays.
Both Miru Systems and the Comelec would have a chance to explain their side as the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms is expected to hold another hearing on the matter on March 12.