Persons with disabilities participate in a demonstration of the new voting machines from Miru that will be used for the first time in the 2025 elections during the Philippine Disability Convention and Expo at the SMX convention hall in Pasay City on July 16, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file

MANILA — The new election technology provider tapped by the Comelec has promised Filipino voters that next year's polls will be glitch-free.

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Ken Cho, Miru Systems Company Limited's Vice President for Overseas Sales, said they have built dependable automated counting machines (ACMs) that underwent rigorous stress test for days before finally transported to the Philippines.

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"We checked everything and therefore we were able to deliver more reliable ACMs. So, we're not concerned on that (possible problems). And also, when they arrived here, they also go another round of HAT (hardware acceptance test). We're very confident that we're gonna give something good for the people of the Philippines," Cho said in an interview Thursday.

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Cho issued the statement after a congressman and a mayoralty aspirant accused Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia of allegedly accepting at least P1 billion bribe money from the South Korean firm.

Cho dismissed the allegations.

"Controversies, they always crop up anywhere we go. It's usually the frustrated competitors or the losing candidates in the countries, but we have provided all the evidence and the documents... We feel very confident right now," Cho said.

"Initially we're very concerned on really what to expect here. But we are right on schedule," he added.

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Miru Systems held its first HAT on the first batch of ACMs that arrived in the Philippines. The firm is promising to complete the delivery of 110,000 ACMs next month.

The Comelec has received a total of 27,500 ACMs from South Korea, to be  followed by another 30,000 units, Garcia said. Of the tested ACMs, 856 have already passed the HAT, he said.

"We inspect every hardware component of the machines. We have to adopt the highest quality standard because we deserve no less. That's value for money," Garcia said.

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