Sa pahayag ni Comelec Chairman Saidamen Balt Pangarungan na binasa ni Commissioner George Garcia, pag-aaralan muli ng kanilang hanay ang kontrata.
“Direct the Law Department of the Comelec to conduct a review of the contract with Smartmatic and to advise the courses of action to be taken by the Commission as may be provided by law and jurisprudence,” pahayag ni Pangarungan.
Una rito, ibinunyag ni Senador Imee Marcos na nagkaroon ng napakaseryosong security breach sa operasyon ng Smartmatic kung saan sangkot ang isang empleyado nito na mayroong access mga confidential information.
“Although we maintain that the Comelec has not fallen victim to any attacks that will amount to a security breach, we will not take these allegations sitting down,” saad nito.
Inatasan na rin ni Pangarungan ang Executive Director ng Comelec na makipag ugnayan sa national Bureau of investigation at kumuha ng kopya ng report kapag mayroon na.
Inatasan din ni Pangarungan ang Executive Director ng Comelec na mag demand mula sa Smartmatic ng submission ng kanilang internal investigation report.
Pinagsusumite rin ni Pangarungan ang Deputy Executive Director for Operations and the Information Technology Department na magsumite ng detalyadong plano para hindi na maulit ang naturang insidente.
“I would also like to reiterate that these measures are just a few of the measures that the Comelec has been instituting in performing our mandate in protecting the sanctity of the vote, since my appointment. The public can expect that the Comelec will continue to provide more safeguards and policies that will uphold our democratic exercise,” dagdag nito.