Monday, July 7, 2025

Comments on Smartmatic case bordering on contempt — Comelec

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday warned individuals pushing for the disqualification of Smartmatic Philippines against continuously making public statements, saying such acts are already “bordering on contempt.”

In a brief statement, Comelec chairman George Garcia said the group of former Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) secretary Eliseo Rio should stop making public statements as it can be considered a violation of the sub judice rule.

“In fact, if we are very strict and onion skinned, this is bordering on contempt in view of the sub judice rule. But our patience is longer than theirs,” said Garcia.

Add to this, he said, is the fact that the public statements of their critics are repetitious and mere reiteration.

“These are all rehashed statements already answered and propounded in several fora by the Commission,” he said.

Instead of constantly making public statements, Garcia advised all parties to the case to just wait for the Comelec’s decision.

“We have a decision forthcoming. Nobody has the business of preempting it,” he said.

Former poll official Augusto Lagman, Rio, retired Col. Leonardo Odoño, and former Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines president Franklin Ysaac have filed a petition with the poll body calling for the disqualification of Smartmatic in the public bidding for the 2025 automated election system (AES).

The group’s cited the May 2022 polls, which it said was attended by “serious and material irregularities,” particularly in the transmission and reception of election results.

Garcia last week said the Comelec already has a draft resolution on the case with all members of the seven-man poll body given the chance to study it before casting their votes.

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