Comelec to meet with Smartmatic to discuss 'data breach'

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to meet with officials of election technology provider Smartmatic on Thursday afternoon to discuss the alleged security breach ahead of the May 9 elections, according to Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan.

“This afternoon, we are looking at allegations of Smartmatic para pag-usapan namin itong incident na ito [so we could discuss this incident],” Pangarungan said in a media briefing.

Aside from Smartmatic, separate meetings will be conducted with election watchdogs Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), Pangarungan said.

The Comelec’s meeting with PPCRV is also set on Thursday while the one with NAMFREL has yet to be scheduled.

Senator Imee Marcos, who chairs the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms, earlier bared an alleged security breach within Smartmatic's operations involving personal information, ledgers, office photos and contact persons.

The Comelec, in response, asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to probe the matter.

Pangarungan said he also required the NBI to submit its report of its investigation.

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

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. —KBK, GMA News