Comelec asks NBI for report on Smartmatic breach

The Commission on Elections will immediately take action on the alleged breach of the security of Smartmatic, the systems provider for the automated Eleksyon 2022, Commissioner George Garcia said on Thursday.

In a hybrid news conference, Garcia said the Comelec would wait for the report from the National Bureau of Investigation as regards the alleged infringement.

"After the allegation na lumabas sa newspaper, we immediately contacted the NBI," Garcia said.

"In the same manner na nanghihingi ng report 'yung Senate Electoral Reforms committee, hinihintay namin 'yung report ng NBI. Marami sila nabanggit kanina," he added.

[In the same manner that the Senate Electoral Reforms committee asked for a report, we're also waiting for a copy from the NBI. They mentioned 

Smartmatic denial

According to Ian Cruz's report on "24 Oras", Smartmatic denied the allegations.

"Gusto lamang po naming klaruhin na hindi po 'yon totoo. Wala pong katotohanan," Smartmatic spokesperson Atty. Christopher Louie Ocampo said.

(We just want to clarify that the allegations were not true. There is no truth in there.)

"Unang una, Smartmatic po, to be very clear, ay hindi po involved sa processing or storing ng personal data of any voter for the 2022 elections," he added.

"Pangalawa, ang kontrata [ng Smartmatic] lang is to provide the automated election system. That's it. 'Pag na-provide na po 'yun wala na pong kinalaman ang Smartmatic sa pagpapatakbo ng elections," Ocampo said.

(First of all, Smartmatic, to be very clear, is not involved in the processing or storing of the personal data of any voter for the 2022 elections. Second, Smartmatic's contract is to just provide the automated election system. That's it. Once it is provided, Smartmatic will have nothing to do with conducting the elections.)

"[There is an] ongoing investigation which we do not want to prejudice," Ocampo said as regards allegations that a Smartmatic employee allowed data on his laptop to be copied.

Breach bared

Senator Imee Marcos, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms, said on Thursday that there was a security breach in Smartmatic's operations and that the NBI and two other agencies were already investigating.

Marcos made the remark in the second hearing of the committee as regards the preparations for Eleksyon 2022.

"Kasi kung may sabi lang na ganoon, although it's an executive session, maganda may report kami so that we can find out. Totoo ba talaga? Kailan nangyari, kung mayroon?"  Garcia said.

"Kami, we learn a lot during the exchanges of information kanina, and sabi nga namin, we will have to act immediately," he added.

[Although it's an executive session, it would be best if we also had a copy of the report so that we can find out. Is it true? When did it happen if ever it did? We learned a lot during the exchange of information earlier and, as we said, we will have to act immediately.]

Marcos said the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center and the National Privacy Commission were also looking into the breach which she described as "serious."

'Very serious'

"It may not be hacking, technically, but we feel that it compromises the processes and operations of Smartmatic in very serious ways," Marcos said.

Marcos claimed data regarding Smartmatic, including personal information, ledgers, photos of their office, contact persons in the Comelec, might have been hacked by a group.

"Andoon lahat sa Facebook eh, nakakapagtaka eh. Kaya medyo kinakabahan tayo to that degree, the depth and breadth of the data that has been released, that is still publicly available as far as I know," Marcos said.

"Nandoon nakita ko, and we may be involved with a criminal hacking syndicate, 'yang XFOS," she added.

[It's all in Facebook, it's puzzling. We're a bit concerned to that degree... I saw it and we may be involved with a criminal hacking syndicate, XFOS.] —NB, GMA News