Pangarungan vows transparency as Comelec secures ballots in Eleksyon 2022

Commission on Elections chairman Saidamen Pangarungan has assured the public that there would be transparency as the poll body secures the sanctity of the ballots in Eleksyon 2022.

The chairman made the remark during the walkthrough of the vote counting machines (VCMs) and consolidated canvassing system (CCS) production and deployment process at the Comelec’s warehouse in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

“When we assumed office, we vowed for the sanctity of the ballot as a guiding principle. On my part as the chairman of the Commission on Elections, I made it very clear that my policy is complete transparency without compromising the security of the ballots and our other SD cards,” Pangarungan said in a speech.

The walkthrough was attended by representatives of several political parties, citizens’ arms, and the media.

During the event, the Comelec showed the stakeholders the components of the VCMs and explained how they conduct a quality check on each machine.

According to new Comelec Commissioner George Garcia, the Comelec is on track with its VCM quality assurance process.

Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo, the head of the steering committee for the 2022 national and local elections, said that had been no hacking of the poll body’s system for the May 9 polls.

“We do our preparations like the memory configurations, the creation of data, on a stand-alone system. So it is not connected elsewhere. Whatever the hackers said na pinalabas wala kaming data na ganon,” Casquejo said.

Casquejo said the public would be welcome to scrutinize the Comelec’s contract with the F2 Logistics  on the deployment of election equipment, peripherals, forms supplies and paraphernalia with provision of warehousing services in Eleksyon 2022.

“We already submitted the contract with the [Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Automated Election System]. So, all of the terms of reference are already in the contract. Open naman ‘yung contract. It is open to the public,” Casquejo said.

Earlier, pollster watchdog Kontra Daya called on Comelec to pull out from the P535-million contract because of the company's links to Davao-based businessman Dennis Uy, an ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, which could pose a "potential conflict of interest."

Uy contributed P30 million to Duterte’s campaign in 2016. —NB, GMA News