Erice files corruption complaint vs. Garcia over Miru contract

Former Caloocan Representative Edgar Erice on Tuesday filed an anti-graft and corruption practice complaint against Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair George Garcia with the Office of the Ombudsman over the P18 billion contract awarded to South Korean firm Miru Systems.

According to Christian Maño’s Super Radyo dzBB report, Erice lodged the complaint to compel Garcia and other Comelec officials to explain the alleged corruption and “to defend the billions worth of funds to be robbed from poor Filipinos.”

Erice denied his move was part of a “demolition job,” saying he first questioned the legality of the P18 billion contract before the Supreme Court (SC). 

Erice said he would continue fighting until the involved poll officials were impeached. 

In April, the former legislator asked the SC to declare null and void the contract between Comelec and Miru. 

Last month, Erice lodged a motion before the high court, requesting the SC to cite Garcia in contempt for supposedly violating the sub judice rule when he said the Comelec may “resort to a manual 2025 national and local polls should the SC issue a ruling against Miru systems.”

In response, Garcia said he would face the charges.

“Expected natin 'yan kasi matagal na niya sinasabi na magfa-file siya sa Office of the Ombudsman,” Garcia told reporters in a virtual interview. 

(We already expected it because he already said before that he would file a complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman.)

“Haharapin natin ang kaso…Maganda po 'yan, at least legal na ang proseso. Hindi ‘yung produkto ng marites, misinformation, disinformation at ‘yung mga pagbabato ng putik na wala namang kabase-basehan,” he added.

(We will face the complaint. This is better because it is under the legal process and not just through misinformation, disinformation, and groundless accusations.)

Garcia had previously said that there was nothing irregular about the deal.

The Comelec also assured that due diligence was observed before Miru was awarded the contract. —VAL/VBL, GMA Integrated News