Comelec's Garcia asks NBI: Release 'data breach' probe findings soonest

Commission on Elections Commissioner George Garcia on Sunday called on the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to release the results of its probe into the alleged security breach of Smartmatic’s automated election system as soon as possible.

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, Garcia said the Comelec is waiting for the probe report so that the poll body can inform the public, and do appropriate actions ahead of the May 9 polls.

“Nagmamakaawa kami, nakikiusap kami sa NBI na sana mailabas na po ‘yung kanilang findings upang kahit paano ay masabi namin sa publiko na ito po ang nangyari, wala naman palang effect sa Comelec halimbawa, at the same time, ito ang aming gagawin correspondingly,” he said.

[We are making an appeal to the NBI to release its findings soonest so that we can tell the public what happened, and also for us to act accordingly.]

While we are anticipating NBI's action regarding its findings, the Comelec likewise wants to ensure that the automated election system (AES) is secure, Garcia added in a mix of English and Filipino.

Garcia pointed out that the poll body needs to prepare a backup plan for any situation that might arise.   

Earlier, Senator Imee Marcos, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms, claimed that the Smartmatic data breach might have compromised personal information, ledgers, office photos, and contact persons in Comelec, and these data could be in the hands of a syndicate.

In response, Comelec officials said they immediately contacted the NBI to investigate the matter.

For its part, the NBI said that the Smartmatic employee who was supposedly involved in the alleged security breach was already in its custody.

During the hearing of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms last Monday, Smartmatic spokesman Atty. Christopher Louie Ocampo emphasized that their system “was not hacked” and that Eleksyon 2022 would remain 100% safe and secure despite the issue.

Ocampo said that the source code and software of the Automated Election System was wholly governed and controlled by the Comelec, noting that the poll body’s own servers and infrastructure are separate and distinct from Smartmatic.

Garcia, however, pointed out the need to investigate the matter to make that the people will not lose their trust in the AES process.

“Sa ganitong klaseng halalan at proseso, ang pinaka-importante sa lahat ay ang tiwala ng mamamayan” (What matters most in the AES process is the trust of the people), Garcia said.

Should the NBI find anything dubious in their investigation or in case there will be any mishaps in the future, Garcia said that the Comelec could always shift to another voting system.

Garcia assured that public that the system is under Comelec's  control. 

“Huwag po kayong magalala, nasa kapangyarihan ng Comelec na puwede kaming, anytime, magpunta sa iba pang sistema” he said.

NBI Director Eric Distor has yet to make a reply to GMA News Online for his comment. —LBG, GMA News