MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec)’s newly selected election technology provider, Miru Systems Company Limited, has assured voters that the upcoming 2025 elections will proceed without technical glitches.
Ken Cho, Vice President for Overseas Sales at Miru Systems, emphasized the reliability of the Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) that have undergone rigorous testing before being transported to the Philippines.
“We checked everything and therefore we were able to deliver more reliable ACMs. So, we’re not concerned on that (possible problems). And also, when they arrived here, they also go another round of HAT (hardware acceptance test). We’re very confident that we’re gonna give something good for the people of the Philippines,” Cho said during an interview on Thursday.
Cho’s remarks came in response to allegations that Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia received a bribe of at least P1 billion from the South Korean company. Cho, however, dismissed the accusations.
“Controversies, they always crop up anywhere we go. It’s usually the frustrated competitors or the losing candidates in the countries, but we have provided all the evidence and the documents… We feel very confident right now,” Cho added.
Despite initial concerns, Cho stated that the company is now on track with its delivery and operations.
Miru Systems completed its first Hardware Acceptance Test (HAT) for the initial batch of ACMs that arrived in the Philippines. The company aims to finish delivering a total of 110,000 ACMs by next month.
According to Comelec, 27,500 ACMs have already been received from South Korea, with another 30,000 units expected soon. Comelec Chairman Garcia confirmed that 856 of the tested machines have passed the HAT.
“We inspect every hardware component of the machines. We have to adopt the highest quality standard because we deserve no less. That’s value for money,” Garcia stated.