The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will meet with members of Smartmatic regarding the alleged data breach involving one of the latter's employees.
Comelec chairman Saidamen Pangarungan said that they will be meeting on Thursday, March 31.
It can be remembered that in a recent press statement, the en banc required Smartmatic to submit a report regarding the said leakage. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) was also required to submit a report.
The Comelec Law Department was also instructed 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.
On the other hand, the Deputy Executive Director for Operations and the Information Technology Department was told to give a detailed plan to prevent occurrence of a similar or related issue.
"So this afternoon, we are meeting the top officials of Smartmatic para pag-usapan namin itong incident na ito (so we can discuss this incident)," he said.
Senator Imee Marcos, chairperson of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee (JCOC) on the Automated Election System after an executive session with Comelec officials, Smartmatic, the NBI, and the Department of Information and Technology (DICT). said that the media “was right” in its report of the alleged hacking.
Marcos stated that the potential for a very serious breach is now there. She found it "rather alarming" as it appears that Smartmatic's contractual employees have access to very confidential data, locations and other facilities. A Smartmatic employee was also said to have managed to take home his or her laptop and allowed a “certain group” to copy their data.
Commissioner George Irwin Garcia said that the poll body was never hacked.
The Comelec will also have a separate meeting on the same day with the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel).
"We will listen to their concerns whatever it is basta (as long as it's) for an honest, orderly and peaceful elections we are open," he said.