MANILA, Philippines – Iniimbestigahan ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) ang alegasyon na nakipag-usap ang kampo ng isang 2022 presidential candidate sa president ng Smartmatic, ang poll service provider bago maganap ang huling national and local elections.
Sa deliberasyon ng badyet ng poll body, tugon ito Senador Imee Marcos na sa katanungan ni Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III hinggil sa isyu.
“There have been allegations that a certain camp of a certain candidate met with the owner of Smartmatic during the election period of 2022. Has this report reached the Comelec and [has] the Comelec investigated this report?” tanong ni Pimentel.
Sinabi ni Pimentel na dapat mahigpit na ipinagbabawal ang pakikipagkita o pakikipagpulong ng sinumang political party sa poll service provider sa lahat ng pagkakataon.
Ayon kay Marcos, pinag-aralan ng Comelec ang naturang isyu kaya nagkaroon ng imbestigasyon.
Nakatakdang ipalabas ang resulta ng imbestigasyon bago matapos ang taon, ayon sa mambabatas.
“Before the end of December, there should be a result or a finding by a 12-man investigative panel that’s been constituted by the chairman to look into all these different allegations, both in 2022 and other recent elections,” aniya.
Bukod sa imbestigasyon sa naturang pulong, sinabi ni Marcos na tinatalakay ng Comelec ang petisyon upang i-disqualify ang Smartmatic sa lahat ng future procurements ng poll body kabilang ang bribery sa dating Comelec chairman Andy Bautista.
“There are two opportunities to look into that. One, is the Smartmatic disqualification and the Chairman Bautista incident and in addition, the 12-man panel. So, we hope to get to the bottom of this at the earliest possible time,” ayon sa senadora.
Iniwasan naman ni Marcos na banggitin ang kasagutan sa tanong ni Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri kung winning camp ang nakipag-usap sa Smartmatic.
Dahil dito, hiniling ni Pimentel sa Comelec na iimbestigahan kung nangyari ang meeting.
“Pero sana, don’t make it open-ended by assigning to the 12-man committee so many things to investigate. Kahit ‘yung unang tanong na ‘yon (they should find out) if it really happened as a matter of fact,” aniya.
Ayon kay Marcos, walang records ng impormasyon kung nakapunta ang pangulo ng Smartmatic sa Pilipinas noong 2022 ngunit tanging isang “Cesar Flores” ang kumakatawan sa kompanya sa transaksiyon sa Comelec.
“Ang laging pinapangalanan ‘yung Cesar Flores but we’re not aware of the corporate structure, the sister company, and the overall organization,” aniya.
“He was the president as [per] the records of Comelec, siya ‘yung presidente ng Smartmatic pag nag-aapply dito sa Pilipinas… of the joint venture here in the Philippines,” dagdag ng senadora.
Kaya’t naitanong ni Pimentel: “Your main partner in running the elections, you do not even know the personalities behind.”
“The allegation is that the owner of the mother company of Smartmatic Philippines was the one who visited here and met with the camp of a candidate, an interested party. So I hope the Comelec can also be interested in finding out the truth,” giit ni Pimentel. Ernie Reyes
