Smartmatic should be under Investigation for Breaking Comelec Protocol.
Comelec Angry on Smartmatic. When the script or code was changed in the transparency server handling the unofficial election results, Elections Commissioner Rowena Guanzon on Friday slammed Smartmatic for breaching the protocol.
Guanzon firmed that the tech firm should be liable for changing the code without the Commission on Elections (Comelec) knowing it.
According to the commissioner, the automated election is owned by the Comelec representing the people of the Philippines and not by the Smartmatic.
In a press conference held at the Philippine International Convention Center, Guanzon cleared that the results of the elections were not altered as a result of the Smartmatic’s unauthorized action.
She also made the recommendation for the investigation for the changing of script in the transparency server.
“We will request for a formal investigation of this matter with the en banc so that we can determine if Smartmatic has financial and other liabilities under the contract,” she said.
Smartmatic earlier relied that they changed the script to correct an error.
Guanzon pointed out that the Smartmatic should have asked permission from the en banc first after they saw an error.
“They could have explained the problem and the solution, and if these were acceptable to us, then we would have given the permission to do the change,” she said.
Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista earlier assured that the change in the transparency server was merely cosmetic referring to the correction that was made in the presence of question marks in some candidates’ names where the letter ñ should have appeared.
Earlier Sen. Bongbong Marco’s camp also aired their sentiments regarding the change in script claiming that it may have altered the hash codes of the data, they also urged the PPCRV to stop the quick count.