Namfrel: Comelec exercised due diligence in approving Miru Systems

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) used due diligence in awarding the vote counting machine (VCM) contract for the 2025 polls to South Korean firm Miru Systems amid some issues raised by observers, an election watchdog said Friday.

National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) secretary-general Eric Jude Alvia told Dobol B TV in an interview that the technical committee and observers raised issues against Miru which were looked into by the poll body. 

“Sa tingin ko, gumawa rin naman ng due diligence ang Comelec kasi iyong mga iba-ibang miyembro ng technical committee pati iyong mga observers maraming ni-raise na issues laban dito sa Miru dahil sa mga balita na sinasabi na hindi maganda yung performance niya sa mga ilang bansa kung saan siya nag-operate,” he said.

(I think that the Comelec also did due diligence because the various members of the technical committee, as well as the observers, raised many issues against Miru due to reports that it did not perform well in the countries where it has operated.)

“Pero noong in-assess naman ng Comelec at tinanong doon sa election management body ng mga bansang ito hindi naman totoo,” he added.

(But when the Comelec assessed and asked the election management bodies of these countries, these reports turned out to be false.)

The Comelec announced on Thursday that it has awarded the P17.99-billion contract for vote counting machines for the 2025 national and local polls to Miru, the lone bidder.

Lawmakers, election watchdogs, and other groups earlier expressed concern and called on the Comelec to stay vigilant and review Miru's track record as they cited recent "catastrophic failures" and "questioned" projects in Iraq and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Miru Systems, however, belied claims of election failures in Iraq and the Democratic Republic of the Congo resulting from the use of its technology.

“The allegations of election failures due to Miru’s technology are false, as the company designs, develops, and manufactures secure electoral systems that are of international standard,” Miru said in a statement.

Improved transparency

Namfrel also lauded the improved transparency in the automated election system for the 2025 polls as political parties, citizens' arm, and media will receive results directly from the machine without a transparency server.

This was emphasized by Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco in a separate interview on Dobol B TV.

"Unang-una, 'yung ating transparency, audit, and count kasi po itong makina na bago may malaking screen kung saan pagboto niyo pa lang po ay makikita niyo na sa screen kung ano po 'yung pagkakabasa ng makina sa balota niyo," he said.

(First, the transparency, audit, and count because this new machine has a big screen where as soon as you vote, you will see on the screen what the machine reads in your ballot.)

With the P17.99-billion bid of Miru, Laudiangco said Comelec saved around P800 million from its P18.8 billion budget.

Comelec said it is also planning to lease around 110,000 machines and peripherals including ballot boxes, laptops, and other printing requirements for the 2025 elections.

Miru is offering its machines for around P149,000 each.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia earlier said that if ever the contract is awarded to Miru, the poll body will proceed with the contract negotiations.

'Shadow' of the past

Meanwhile, poll watchdog Legal Network For Truthful Elections (Lente) called on the Comelec to keep its transparency and civil society engagement considering Miru’s past controversies.

“The shadow of past controversies necessitate further steps to ensure public confidence. In this regard, we call for continued transparency and civil society engagement by the Comelec,” it said.

Lente called on the poll body to allow access to the supporting documents provided by refuting the allegations of fraud.

“We urge the Comelec to facilitate access to these documents making it available to the public for scrutiny to increase public confidence,” Lente said.

“As part of our role as an observer in the procurement process, we expect to receive a copy of the report from the Special Bids and Awards Committee regarding their findings that led to the awarding of the contract to Miru,” it added.

'Convincing proof' needed

For its part, the Democracy Watch Philippines (DWP) said Miru Systems has yet to answer the questions raised by third-party election watchdogs on the alleged “election failures” due to its technology in Iraq and Congo.

Miru previously refuted the accusations, saying the electoral systems that the company designed, developed, and manufactured are of international standard.

“Throughout the years we have conducted several projects locally and abroad… and developed multiple systems internally for all types of electoral stages,” Marcelo Daniel Magaña, Miru overseas sales representative, said in a separate statement.

However, DWP said the technology company has yet to present "concrete and convincing proof" of its successful performance in the two countries.

"We also reiterate our earlier call to clarify the issue of using a prototype in the evaluation process. There is a need to resolve the issue of whether or not the use of a prototype is consistent with the provisions of the Automated Elections Law of 2007," the DWP said.

"It is necessary to clarify whether the showcased automated counting machine (ACM) is a prototype or if it has been utilized in official elections before, particularly addressing whether the ACM differs from the model featured in Congo’s election commission website," it said.

Miru also should ensure that any previous technical issues are rectified, DWP said, to prevent disruptions in the 2025 elections.

"We repeat, facts and evidence must be the sole qualifier in the evaluation process of the automated election system and not simply statements in response by the proponents," it said, adding that, "We cannot risk having a faulty and unreliable automated election system that can lead to political instability in our country."

GMA News Online has sought comment from Comelec and will publish it as soon as it becomes available. — Joviland Rita and Sundy Locus/ VAL/RSJ/VDV, GMA Integrated News