ELECTIONS chairman George Garcia yesterday said the poll body’s probe of the 2016 automated election system (AES) project and the alleged involvement of former poll chief Andres Bautista in irregularities would help the poll body ensure a more credible and transparent bidding process for the 2025 poll automation.
In an interview, Garcia said the probe to be conducted by the “Chairman’s Task Force” will help them improve and fix the shortcomings of the current bidding process in time for the procurement of a new AES to be used in the 2025 elections.
“This will be important to us as the information we will be able to gather will be crucial in fixing the Comelec’s procurement process in case it is deemed vulnerable to manipulation and irregularities,” said Garcia.
“We commit to the public that (in 2025) you will see the most transparent, free, inclusive procurement there is at the Comelec,” he added.
Earlier in the week, Garcia announced the creation of a task force to conduct a fact-finding mission regarding the 2016 automation project.
He said he has already issued a memorandum ordering the concerned departments of the Commission to make available all the necessary documents, contracts, and papers related to the 2016 procurement of the AES.
Asked if the said investigation will require the presence or a statement from Bautista, the poll chief believes it is unnecessary.
“We have access to all the documents and our own personnel so we may no longer reach that point (of summoning Bautista),” he said.
However, Garcia said they intend to ask the United States (US) government to share the documents they have in relation to the case against Bautista as additional reference.
“We hope they are shared with us, the documents they used in the case, so that we can reverify their authenticity, due execution, and integrity of the documents and statements,” said Garcia.
To recall, money laundering charges have been filed by the US Department of Homeland Security against Bautista, who was in office from April 2015 to October 2017.
The report said the money laundered through US accounts were allegedly bribe money paid to Bautista by top executives of an unnamed poll technology company.
