Comelec to probe ‘irregularities’ in 2016 poll system bidding

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has created a task force that will investigate allegations of corruption and irregularities in the bidding of the 2016 automated election system (AES) project.

The Task Force will be composed of 12 members, picked based on their credibility and relation to the process.

Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said a memorandum has been issued to concerned departments to make available all the necessary documents, contracts, and papers related to the procurement of the AES in 2016.

“We want to know the root cause of this. Are the accusations true? What are the pieces of evidence in the hands of America? Who are the other people involved in this issue?” Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said on the sidelines of the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the poll body and the Public Attorney’s Office to strengthen cases of vote buying at The Manila Hotel on Monday.

The probe is related to the money laundering charges filed by the United States Department of Homeland Security against former Comelec chair Andres Bautista.

According to reports, Bautista allegedly laundered money to US accounts, supposedly bribes from top executives of an unnamed technology service provider firm.

Bautista headed Comelec from April 2015 to October 2017.

Garcia said the task force aims to unmask those involved and whether they are still with Comelec.

“What is the extent of their participation? We are not accusing anything. We are not saying there is a guilty party. But, as an act of diligence, we need to show that we are not hiding anything,” he added.

The Task Force will review all documents and will need to finish before the year ends, Garcia said.

If needed, the Comelec en banc will file charges.