Miru passed Comelec vetting — Namfrel

Some election watchdogs earlier urged the Comelec to review the track record of Miru Systems over recent alleged failures and questioned projects in Iraq and Congo.

An official from the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections, or Namfrel, on Friday said the Commission on Elections did due diligence in awarding the contract for vote-counting machines to Miru Systems.

Namfrel Secretary General Eric Alvia said members of the technical committee had to tackle the many issues raised against Miru regarding its track record and performance in other countries where its machines were used.

“But when Comelec assessed and questioned the election management body of these countries, it (the derogatory report versus Miru) was not true. These are now the reasons that gave Comelec the courage to grant Miru the lease of the elections operations systems,” Alvia added.

Some election watchdogs earlier urged the Comelec to review the track record of Miru Systems over recent alleged failures and questioned projects in Iraq and Congo.

Miru Systems Company Limited belied the claims as “false,” saying the company designs, develops and manufactures secure electoral systems that are “of international standard.”

Alvia expressed hope that the 2025 national and local elections will be transparent.

“There are many recommendations, [from] Namfrel itself as well as other groups, but most of them are from Namfrel to intensify and make the system transparent,” he said in Filipino.

“Many things had been added to the systems that were not there in the previous automated election systems,” he added.

The Comelec on Thursday awarded the contract for vote-counting machines for the 2025 midterm elections to Miru Systems. The contract is worth P17.9 billion, lower than the Comelec’s budget of P18.8 billion.

The contract included the provision by Miru of 110,000 automated counting machines, 104,345 ballot boxes and 2,200 CCS servers/ laptops and printers.

It also includes the printing of 73,851,934 ballots, ballot papers and ballot verification.

PHOTOGRAPH BY YUMMIE DINGDING FOR THE DAILY TRIBUNE @tribunephl_yumi FARMERS started a new rice production cycle in Pampanga Wednesday as the Department of Agriculture and the International Rice Research Institute agreed last week to work together to boost palay production through sustainable practices by tillers.