Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 19) — The Supreme Court has ordered the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to comment on the petition filed by the country’s longtime voting technology provider Smartmatic Philippines.
In a press release on Monday, the high court required the Comelec en banc and the petitioners led by former Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) acting Secretary Eliseo Rio to comment within 10 days of notice.
Smartmatic filed a \”Petition for Certiorari with extreme urgent application for the issuance of a Temporary Restraining Order and/or Writ of Preliminary Injunction\” on Dec. 11 against the poll body’s decision to disqualify them from all public bidding processes.
Last month, the en banc barred Smartmatic from participating in election procurement over unresolved bribery allegations involving former Comelec chief Andres Bautista in 2016.
Both Smartmatic and Bautista have denied the allegations.
In a message to reporters, Comelec chairperson George Garcia said they welcome the directive and will comply with the Supreme Court order.
\”Most importantly, the High Court found no compelling reasons to issue an injunctive writ to stall the implementation of our questioned resolution,\” he added.
\”The Commission on Elections shall remain consistent to its commitment to comply with the directives of Supreme Court, and at this instance, with the assistance of the Office of the Solicitor General,\” Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said in a separate message.
The Comelec said it has yet to receive an official copy of the SC order as of writing.
Last week, the poll body’s Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) declared a failure of bidding for the 2025 Automated Election System (AES) after the lone bidder Miru Systems Co. Ltd. was deemed ineligible.
Smartmatic tried to tender a bid but it was not accepted by the SBAC in compliance with the Comelec en banc’s decision to disqualify the company.
