MANILA (UPDATE)—The Commission on Elections on Tuesday rejected "conflict of interest" accusations stemming from a contract awarded to a logistics company linked to a businessman who was a major donor in President Rodrigo Duterte's campaign in 2016.

• Poll watchdog seeks cancellation of delivery contract between Comelec, Dennis Uy-linked logistics firm
• 'Patently unethical': Poll watchdog blasts Comelec's deal with Dennis Uy-linked F2

The P536-million delivery contract granted to F2 Logistics, a subsidiary of Dennis Uy's Udenna Management & Resources Corp., was signed on Oct. 29 by the firm's president Efren Uy and Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas.

The firm had "proffered the lowest responsive bid", which makes it qualified, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said.

"The question of conflict of interest was looked at. Talagang chineck 'yan ng ating bids and awards committee. It was found there really was no grounds to say there was conflict of interest," Jimenez told ANC's "Headstart".

(Our bids and awards committee vetted it.)

F2 Logistics will be responsible for transporting election materials, such as vote-counting machines (VCMs) to and from election precincts, according to Jimenez.

"Machines will be at the place they're going to be used maybe 3-4 days before election day. When you receive the machine... you'll find out right then and there. You're going to have what we call final testing and sealing," he said.

"One of the things you check is to see if the machines are in working order. Let's speculate, is it possible during transport, nalagyan 'yan ng preloaded results... On election day itself, before the start of voting, a zero report is printed out. The minute you find out na walang laman 'yan... you know your speculation is baseless."

(Let's speculate. Is it possible that during transport, preloaded results were put in the machines... On election day itself, before the start of voting, a zero report is printed out. The minute you find out that it doesn't contain anything... you know your speculation is baseless.)

Jimenez, in a series of tweets, also said that after voting ends, the VCMS prints out an "election return hard copy which is then certified by the electoral board and watchers."

"As you can see, at no point is the logistics provider able to tamper with the election outcome, either because of process safeguards (like the zero-report) or the fact that the VCMs have practically nothing to do with the results once the results have been reported out," he said.

"All this on top of the fact that the actual deliveries will be witnessed and monitored closely."

Sen. Risa Hontiveros emphasized the deal "deserves closer scrutiny." She noted Uy's businesses expanded during the last six years, under the Duterte administration.

"Isn't it conflict of interest for a Dennis Uy company to handle the logistics for the crucial 2022 elections? How do we assure different sectors that the contract will not result in possible undue influence vis a vis the conduct of the vote? How do we protect our electoral process from possible foreign influence, given Dennis Uy’s established links with China?" Hontiveros said in a statement.

"There should always be watchdogs in place to ensure that nothing underhanded happens. The people have to stay vigilant."

The next national and local elections will be held on May 9, 2022.

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