Comelec to review contract with Smartmatic amid alleged security breach

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday said it will review its contract with Smartmatic Inc. after an alleged security breach on the system of the service provider for the 2022 elections.

“Direct the department of the Comelec to conduct a review of the contract with Smartmatic and to advise the course of action to be taken by the Commission as may be provided by law and jurisprudence,” Comelec Chairperson Saidamen Balt Pangarungan said in a statement read by Commissioner George Garcia during a press conference.

Earlier, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said a Smartmatic employee involved in the alleged security breach in its system is now under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Pangarungan also ordered the Comelec to coordinate with the NBI and get a copy of its report on the alleged security breach on the Smartmatic system.

He also asked Smartmatic for a report of its own probe into the issue.

Pangarungan also advised the Department of Information and Communications Technology to set a detailed plan to prevent a security breach or similar and related problems.

While Comelec maintained that it has not fallen victim to any attacks leading to a security breach, Pangarungan said, “We will not take these allegations sitting down.”—AOL, GMA News