FOLLOWING the controversy caused by the alleged "unauthorized action" on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) transparency server, a poll official has ordered Smartmatic to seek the en banc's consent first before making any actions related to May 9 elections.
"Kindly be reminded that as to any other equipment or system you may need to examine, please secure the consent of the undersigned prior to doing any action," Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim, who heads the steering committee for the 2016 elections, said in his May 13 letter addressed to Smartmatic general manager Elie Moreno.
"Finally, in the spirit of utmost transparency, follow the protocol of announcing any action to all parties present before undertaking the same," he added.
The Comelec made the appeal amid speculations that the partial and unofficial votes counted are inaccurate and rigged after the Smartmatic tweaked the transparency server's script, without the consent of poll body's head.
In the letter, Lim also noted that from now on, Smartmatic project manager Marlon Garcia is prohibited from having an access at the Canvassing and Consolidation System (CCS) workstation located at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.
Garcia was the one who took the initiative to change the transparency script. He, however, informed the parties present after he made the changes.
"As a precautionary measure in the midst of numerous concerns and speculations as to the integrity of the Canvassing and Consolidation System (CCS) being used for the 2016 national and local elections, please be reminded that the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) has sole and absolute control over the CCS workstation located at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC)," Lim said.
"Henceforth, access to the same shall be subject to strict protocols. Your personnel (Garcia) shall not be allowed access to the same unless with specific poor authority from the NBOC or the Project Monitoring Office. In any case, access to the same shall always be under the direct supervision of a duly designated Comelec personnel." (Sunnex)