Connect with us

News

Comelec tags Smartmatic over offshore accounts

Published

on

By Ferdinand Patinio, Philippine News Agency

George Erwin Garcia

NEW FINDINGS. Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Erwin Garcia presents in a press conference at their office in Intramuros, Manila on Thursday (Aug. 8, 2024) that the address of the entity that opened his purported offshore bank accounts in Cayman Island National Bank and Scotia Bank Cayman Island is the same as the address of their former service provider.

buy female cialis online https://simpsonmedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/png/female-cialis.html no prescription pharmacy

Based on the records provided by Garcia, the transfer was made by Jaleo Consulting, LLC owned by a certain Jose A.

Herrera, who allegedly is a director of Albatross Technologies Corporation. (PNA photo by Yancy Lim)

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has allegedly unraveled those behind the two offshore bank accounts in Cayman Islands supposedly owned by the head of the poll body.

According to Comelec Chairman George Garcia, upon thorough research, they found out that the address of the entity that opened the said accounts in Cayman Island National Bank and Scotia Bank Cayman Island is the same as the address of their former service provider.

Sana po masagot ang katanungan kong ito. Wala po akong ibinibintang. Bakit po ba naman ang address sa Barbados, ang address ng company na sinasabi ko (Albatross Technologies Corporation) ay parehas sa address ng company na dati nating provider? Parehas na parehas po. Coincidence lang ba ‘yan (I hope that my questions will be answered. I am not implying anything. Why is it the address in Barbados, the address I am talking about [Albatross Technologies Corporation] is the same as the address of the company of our former service provider? They are the same. Is it only coincidence)?” he said in a press conference on Thursday at the Comelec main office in Intramuros, Manila.

“Sana maipaliwanag sa atin. Isa lang konklusyon natin kapag ganyan, pero ayaw kong ako ang gumawa ng konklusyon (I hope it can be explained to us. There is only one conclusion, but I don’t want to be the one to make that conclusion),” he added.

The poll body chief said they were able to trace the sender of the money to the two accounts from a certain Jaleo Consulting, LLC from Miami, Florida, which is owned by a certain Jose Herrera.

Garcia said Jose Herrera, an official of the consulting firm, is also a director of Albatross Technologies Corporation, a subsidiary of Smartmatic Services Corp.

Both corporations share the same address at Pine Lodge #26 Pine Road Belleville, St. Michael, Barbados.

Yung isang tinatawag na Alfredo Anzola ay son-in-law nung isang Jose A. Herrera. At kung sino ba si Anzola? Kasama yung dalawa pang tao, sila po ay founders and owners ng ating dating provider (The one called Alfredo Anzola is the son-in-law of one Jose A. Herrera. And who is Anzola? He and two others are the founders and owners of our former service provider,” he added.

buy stromectol online https://simpsonmedical.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/png/stromectol.html no prescription pharmacy

Mere speculation

Meanwhile, Smartmatic denied the claims of the poll body chief.

“We are saddened to hear the latest accusations made by Comelec Chairman George Garcia about Smartmatic. Our company is not involved nor is behind any of the claims made by Chairman Garcia against us. Such accusations are both unfair and unjust,” it said in a statement.

“Our focus solely remains in prioritizing our legal efforts on the case filed in the Supreme Court of the Philippines. Any suggestion to the contrary is baseless and mere speculation,” the company added.

Smartmatic was the service provider of the Comelec starting from the May 2020 polls until the May 2022 elections.

However, the company was not allowed to participate in the bidding to automate the May 2025 polls.

The poll automation contract worth over PHP17 billion for next year’s elections was awarded to South Korean firm Miru Systems.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Maria in Vancouver

Lifestyle1 day ago

Nobody Wants This…IRL (In Real Life)

Just like everyone else who’s binged on Netflix series, “Nobody Wants This” — a romcom about a newly single rabbi...

Lifestyle1 week ago

Family Estrangement: Why It’s Okay

Family estrangement is the absence of a previously long-standing relationship between family members via emotional or physical distancing to the...

Lifestyle2 months ago

Becoming Your Best Version

By Matter Laurel-Zalko As a woman, I’m constantly evolving. I’m constantly changing towards my better version each year. Actually, I’m...

Lifestyle2 months ago

The True Power of Manifestation

I truly believe in the power of our imagination and that what we believe in our lives is an actual...

Maria in Vancouver3 months ago

DECORATE YOUR HOME 101

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Our home interiors are an insight into our brains and our hearts. It is our own collaboration...

Maria in Vancouver3 months ago

Guide to Planning a Wedding in 2 Months

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Are you recently engaged and find yourself in a bit of a pickle because you and your...

Maria in Vancouver4 months ago

Staying Cool and Stylish this Summer

By Matte Laurel-Zalko I couldn’t agree more when the great late Ella Fitzgerald sang “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.”...

Maria in Vancouver4 months ago

Ageing Gratefully and Joyfully

My 56th trip around the sun is just around the corner! Whew. Wow. Admittedly, I used to be afraid of...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

My Love Affair With Pearls

On March 18, 2023, my article, The Power of Pearls was published. In that article, I wrote about the history...

Maria in Vancouver6 months ago

7 Creative Ways to Propose!

Sometime in April 2022, my significant other gave me a heads up: he will be proposing to me on May...