THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to hold a hearing on October 17 on the bid to disqualify Smartmatic Philippines from participating in the public bidding for the 2025 automated election system (AES) project.
In a three-page order, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said they have set the hearing for the petition filed by the group led by former poll commissioner Augusto Lagman at 10 a.m. at the agency's Session Hall at the Palacio del Gobernador Building in Intramuros, Manila.
"The Commission (En Banc) hereby sets the instant case for hearing on 17 October 2023, at 10 am, at the Session Hall, 8th Floor, Palacio del Gobernador, General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila," said Garcia.
And with the hearing now set, the poll body ordered Smartmatic to immediately file its Comment on the June 2023 petition.
"The Commission (En Banc) hereby directs Smartmatic Corp. to comment on all the submissions of the Petitioners within five days from receipt hereof," said Garcia.
He also said that all evidence already included in the records of the Commission and to be presented by the Petitioner shall be pre-marked before the Office of the Clerk of the Commission on October 16 at 2 p.m.
On the other hand, the Comelec said the submission of documents intended for presentation by the parties during the hearing shall be sent via email through the Office of the Clerk of the Commission (clerkofthecommission@comelec.gov.ph), at least three days before the scheduled hearing, to be followed by four hard copies of the same documents to be sent to the Office of the Clerk of the Commission through the fastest means available.
In June, Lagman, former Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) secretary Eliseo Rio, retired Colonel. Leonardo Odoño and former Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines president Franklin Ysaac filed a petition asking the Comelec to disqualify Smartmatic from joining the forthcoming public bidding for the 2025 AES.
The petitioners said declaring Smartmatic ineligible to participate is necessary since the May 2022 AES was attended by "serious and material irregularities," particularly in the transmission and reception of election results.
The Comelec said the hearing is being scheduled as part of due process concerning the petition to disqualify Smartmatic from continuing its partnership with the poll body. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)