Comelec’s Guanzon tells Smartmatic exec to leave commissioners’ dining room

A commissioner of the Commission on Elections on Tuesday told the official who made the controversial tweak in the script of the transparency server to stay away—quite literally.

In a tweet, Guanzon said she was in the dining room for Comelec officials when Marlon Garcia, project director of technology provider Smartmatic, "approached to get water two feet away from me."

The poll executive, who has openly criticized the company over the tweak, added that she told Garcia to "stay away" because "he is under investigation."

Garcia was the one who made the change in the server's script, to correct the reading of the 'ñ' in the names of some candidates.

While I was in d dinning room, Smarmatic's Garcia approached to get water 2 ft away from me. Told him stay away he is under investigation

— Rowena V. Guanzon (@commrguanzon) May 17, 2016

Guanzon confirmed this in an interview with reporters, saying she was "surprised" to see Garcia "loitering" at the commissioners' hallway and dining room since she has already asked for Smartmatic people not to be allowed there, given a pending investigation on the incident.

Branding the area as an "executive dining room," she said she and other officials "talk about things there [that] we don't want other people to know."

"So nagulat lang ako kanina, may kausap ako doon, mga abogado ko, biglang pumasok si Marlon Garcia. Sabi ko sa kaniya, 'What are you doing here? You stay away from me. You're under investigation,'" Guanzon said.

She added: "Baka na-shock lang siya, kumuha siya ng baso. He meant to say na kukuha siya ng baso. Kung kailangan nila ng tubig, why did he leave the meeting room, just to get water in the dining room?"

Guanzon said Smartmatic officials should not interact with them given the investigation on the script change.

"They should have a no-contact rule with commissioners because we're going to decide their fate. Kami ang huhusga sa kanila. Dapat po hindi sila nagpapakita sa amin, at ang mga abogado nila. Alam nila 'yun," she said.

Guanzon has formally asked her colleagues at the Comelec en banc to direct Smartmatic not to let their officers and employees leave the Philippines until the matter is resolved.

She said Garcia's action was a "breach of contract," and that the technology provider should be held accountable for such.

In turn, Smartmatic spokesperson Karen Jimeno said the poll body's officials "respect" Guanzon's memorandum, but added that they found it "unnecessary" because officials do not have plans to leave anyway.

Sought for comment, Guanzon said she understood that Jimeno "is just doing her job," but still shot back at the young lawyer for her choice of words.

"She should not tell me that what I am doing is unnecessary!" Guanzon said. "Baka she wants my job. She's just doing her job, but I think she should use her words carefully." —NB, GMA News