Panel looking into bid-rigging, bribery allegations—Comelec

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is investigating the bribery allegation against Smartmatic during the 2016 elections after three officials of the voting machine company were recently indicted in the United States.

In a Viber message last Friday, Comelec Chairman George M. Garcia revealed that an 11-man investigating panel is already looking into the matter.

“(We will) check if there is rigging in the bidding and who are the people involved,” he said.

The result of the probe, the poll chief said, will be initially submitted to the Comelec en banc.

The Comelec en banc will then decide if it will be included in their appeal to the Supreme Court (SC) decision, which reversed the poll body’s decision to disqualify Smartmatic TIM Corporation and Smartmatic Philippines Inc. in its bidding for the 2025 polls.

“We will officially manifest these developments to our pending cases in the SC,” Garcia said.

US cases

Last April, the High Court declared that Comelec based its decision to disqualify Smartmatic on discretionary pre-qualification regime.

Comelec appealed the said ruling citing a US federal grand jury’s indictment of former Comelec Chairman Juan Andres D. Bautista for allegedly taking $1 million in bribes from Smartmatic and for money laundering in relation to the preparations for the 2016 elections.

Aside from Bautista, three other Smartmatic officials were also charged due to their involvement in the case.

Last Thursday, a federal grand jury in Florida finally indicted Bautista together with those from Smartmatic, namely, Roger Alejandro Martinez, Jorge Miguel Vasquez, and Ellie Moreno for violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), conspiracy to commit money laundering, and international laundering of monetary instruments.

When asked about the development, Garcia said those involved in the said case should still be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

However, I have noted that the filing of the case is also a “vindication of sorts” for Comelec. “We were right all along when we disqualified Smartmatic.”

‘No voter fraud’

In a social media post, Bautista said the contract with Smartmatic was aboveboard and the charges against him were “politically influenced by key Philippine officials.”

He said he is ready to defend himself in court.

“I will fight for my exoneration in court and show that I have not committed any crime against the US government or the American people nor have I taken advantage or prejudiced them in any way,” Bautista said.

For its part, Smartmatic said it has ordered two of its employees, who were charged to go on leave. It also said that Vasquez already left Smartmatic several years ago.

The firm also stressed that the case involving its officials are not related to the election service it provides.

“No voter fraud has been alleged and Smartmatic is not indicted. Voters worldwide must be assured that the elections they participate in are conducted with the utmost integrity and transparency. These are the values ​​that Smartmatic lives,” it added.

Last Thursday, Garcia accused Smartmatic of being behind the black propaganda that he has offshore accounts for bribe money