Smartmatic's vote-counting machine. ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA (UPDATE) – Elections technology provider Smartmatic Philippines has urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to use the existing vote-counting machines (VCM) in next year’s polls, saying this would save the country “billions.”

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In a letter to Comelec dated May 13, Smartmatic said they were committed to honor their deal with the Comelec on the over 93,000 VCMs leased to the poll body last 2015.

“In all, 93,977 units of precinct-based optical mark reader (OMR) machines and their accompanying election management system (EMS) are still covered by the warranty, which extends to three subsequent national and local elections after the 2016 polls, under the Smartmatic and Comelec contracts,” the statement read.

Smartmatic also told the Comelec that it still owns the automated elections systems (AES) software for the election management system, vote counting system and consolidation and canvassing during the 2022 polls.

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Comelec procured these for P400 million in 2021 said Smartmatic.

This means that for next year’s local and national elections, the poll body could “use the existing VCM machines and the Comelec-owned AES software used and certified in the 2022 national and local elections” according to the firm.

"Most notably, using the VCMs and the certified [for the 2022 elections] AES can save the Comelec and the country billions of pesos,” it added.

Smartmatic also reiterated in its statement their commitment and support to Comelec for credible elections just like what it did in the past polls.

In a text message, Comelec Chairman George Garcia thumbed down Smartmatic’s suggestion, saying the policy of the present administration, and both the executive and legislative branches of government is to “have new machines even if it is for lease only.”

“It is evident by the approval of the budget intended for this purpose,” said Garcia.

“Ayaw na nila ng luma dahil nagagalit na ang Filipino especially with what happened in 2022 (national and local elections) when several of these old machines did not function properly,” he added.

The Comelec en banc, he noted, “already declared these unusable.”

In a resolution last year, the poll body said the allegations of bribery and compromised procurement processes by the US government against former Comelec Chairman Juan Andres Bautista and Smartmatic posed an “imminent threat to the strength and integrity” of the Philippines’ democratic processes.

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