Vice President Leni Robredo’s camp on Sunday said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should prove that there are sufficient safeguards against questionable activity during Eleksyon 2022, amid the poll body’s awarding of a contract to a firm linked to a close Duterte ally.
On the BISErbisyong LENI radio show on Sunday, Robredo’s spokesperson Barry Gutierrez questioned the propriety of Comelec’s entering into a contract with F2 Logistics, linked to businessman Dennis Uy, one of Duterte’s major backers in the 2016 polls.
“Sa tingin ko, dapat patuloy lang dapat ang pagbabantay sa Comelec, patuloy lang dapat ‘yung pangungulit sa kanila. Kung ngayon nga, madaming nagre-raise questions tungkol diyan. At kailangan talagang ipaliwanag—at mas importante sa paliwanag, ay kailangang patunayan na may sapat na mga safeguards na maipapatupad para hindi talaga magkaroon ng ‘magic’ sa darating na eleksyon,” he said.
(I think that we should continue observing Comelec and continue pressing them [on the matter]. Even now, a lot of people are raising questions about this. And Comelec must explain—and even more importantly, prove that there are sufficient safeguards against ‘magic’ during the coming elections.)
F2 Logistics bagged the P535-million contract for the deployment of election equipment, peripherals, forms supplies and paraphernalia for the 2022 presidential elections, with provision of warehousing services.
The company will be tasked to deliver all automated election system-related equipment such as vote counting machines, consolidation and canvassing system machines, official ballots, ballot boxes and election day computerized voters’ lists, among others.
Comelec, meanwhile, has defended the deal, insisting that there is no conflict of interest.
GMA News Online has sought comment from Uy’s Udenna Corporation.
Gutierrez also backed those who were having doubts about this contract, saying that Comelec should be “impartial” watchdogs in the upcoming elections.
“Importanteng importante ‘yung kredibilidad ng Comelec sa kahit anumang eleksyon. Kung ganito pa lang kaaga ay mayroon nang mga duda dahil sa ganiyang klaseng mga hakbang ay hindi magandang simulain para sa kampanya at sa eleksyon na ito,” Gutierrez added.
(Comelec’s credibility in any elections is very important. It is not a good start for the campaign and elections season if there are doubts concerning the steps they take as early as now.)
Comelec ‘welcomes the scrutiny’
In response to Gutierrez’s remarks, the commission’s spokesperson James Jimenez vowed transparency in the conduct of next year’s polls. “The Comelec welcomes the scrutiny, and reassures all candidates—as well as the public—that there will be transparency in the conduct of the 2022 National and Local Elections,” he told GMA News Online.
Jimenez earlier defended the contract, saying in a series of tweets that the designated logistics provider will not be able “to tamper with the election outcome, either because of process safeguards (like the zero-report) or the fact that the VCMs have practically nothing to do with the results once the results have been reported out.”
“All this on top of the fact that the actual deliveries will be witnessed and monitored closely,” Jimenez said. — BM, GMA News
Robredo camp: Comelec should ensure Eleksyon 2022 safeguards amid F2 Logistics deal
Source: Pinoy Hub News
0 Comments