MIRU SYSTEMS COMPANY LTD. AT COMELEC HINDI DAPAT TANTANAN NG KAMARA

BINIGYAN-DIIN ni House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability Vice Chairperson at SAGIP Party-List Rep. Rodante Marcoleta sa mga kasamahan niya sa Kamara na ipagpatuloy ang Congressional inquiry hinggil sa pagkakaloob ng kontrata ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) sa South Korean firm na Miru Systems Company Ltd. para siyang mamamahala sa automated 2025 national and local elections

Ito’y matapos susugan ng veteran lawyer-lawmaker ang pangamba ng iba pa niyang kapwa mambabatas na bumalik ang bansa sa madilim na bahagi ng kasaysayan na pagkakaroon ng manual voting at counting bunsod ng posibleng pagkakaroon ng katiwalian at kapalpakan sa sistemang gagamitin ng kontrobersyal na South Korean firm Miru Systems Co. Ltd. sa nakatakdang 2025 midterm polls.

Partikular na pinagdududahan ni Marcoleta ang plano ng Miro na gumamit ng itinuturing na “two-system-in-one” system, na kombinasyon ng Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) at Optical Mark Reader (OMR) para sa automated counting machines nito.

“This so-called two-systems-in-one that Miru wants to roll-out for the 2025 polls has never been used elsewhere in the world,” pagbibigay-diin pa Marcoleta.

“Under our Automated Election Law, Miru has to first prove that this hybrid system has been tested in other jurisdictions. To my recollection, reports showed that Miru had used these two systems, but separately,” dugtong ng ranking House official.

Ayon kay Marcoleta, ang DRE system ay ginamit noon sa bansang Congo kung saan 45 percent ng voting stations doon ang nakaranas umano ng iba’t-ibang problema habang ang OMR na ginamit naman sa Iraq ay nagkaroon ng ilan din aberya at technical problems ang 70 percent ng itinalagang voting stations.

Giit ng SAGIP party-list solon, hindi pa nagamit at hindi rin nasubukan kahit saan lugar ang kombinasyon ng naturang dalawang sistema.

“So if we will allow Miru to apply the two systems (in-one) without showing that this has been tested anywhere, there will be a clear violation of the Automated Election Law,” babala ni Marcoleta.

“Miru’s plan to tap both DRE and OMR machines in next year’s elections is a very important matter that will also, or must also be addressed by the committee in the most urgent time,” sabi pa ng mambabatas.

Paalala pa ni Marcoleta, noong nakaraan ay pinawalang-saysay ng Supreme Court (SC) ang Comelec resolution na nagdidiskwalipika sa Smartmatic sa isinagawang bidding ng poll body para sa automated elections supplier. Ang Smartmatic ang siyang naging automated machines at services provider sa mga halalan sa bansa sa pagitan ng 2010 at 2022.

“The Supreme Court nullified the [Comelec] resolution because it was committed with grave abuse of discretion. Yet, the bidding was not nullified — so there’s inconsistency,” ani Marcoleta.

“Smartmatic was disqualified even before it was able to submit its bid; even the legal requirements were not considered. So there’s a violation” on the part of the Comelec,” sabi pa niya.

“The Supreme Court used the doctrine of operative fact, which will only apply if there is good faith. So the Comelec should establish that there is good faith,” ang wakas na pahayag ni Marcoleta.