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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Smartmatic denies 'data breach'

Smartmatic denies 'data breach'

Published Mar 18, 2022 02:40 pm

There is no personal data breach that could affect the May 2022 polls, Smartmatic insisted amid alleged breach in its system.

Comelec Chairperson Saidamen B. Pangarungan, Comm. George Erwin M. Garcia and PNP director for operation PMGen. Valeriano De Leon inspect the Comelec warehouse in Sta. Rosa, Laguna on Monday, March 14, 2022. (Photo by Ali Vicoy)

Multinational corporation Smartmatic is the provider of elections software for the upcoming polls.

During an ambush interview with the media on Thursday, March 14, Smartmatic Spokesperson Christopher Louie Ocampo bellied accusations that there was a “personal data breach.”

He pointed out that Smartmatic is not involved in the processing or storing of personal data of any voter for the 2022 polls.

“ Ang kotrata lang po is provide an automated election system. That’s it. ‘Pag na-provide na po ‘yon, wala na pong kinalaman ang Smartmatic sa pagpapatakbo ng eleksyon (Our contract is to provide an automated system. After providing it, Smartmatic has no involvement in the conduct of elections),” Ocampo added.

As to the Facebook posts in the “XSOS” group, Smartmatic said it is very easy to fabricate something such data and claim that such can affect the upcoming elections.

“Humingi po kami ng detalye para po ma-verify natin kasi napakadali pong mag-fabricate ng mga ganitong data (We asked for details to verify it, as it is very easy to fabricate data nowadays), anyone can make this document and post it on Facebook and say that this can possibly affect the 2022 elections,” he said.

Ocampo asked the public not to draw conclusion based on such accusations which are still under probe.

“To be very clear, ang servers, ang system ng Smartmatic ay completely separate and independent from the servers and system of Comelec. Wala pong leakage ‘yan, wala pong interface. So, kahit po ang employees ng Smartmatic, wala pong access kasi hindi po naka-connect sa server or system ng Comelec (There is no leakage, there is no interface. So, even Smartmatic employees have no access as it is not connected with the server or system of Comelec),” he noted.

Recently, Sen. Imee R. Marcos, the chairperson of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee (JCOC) on the Automated Election System, claimed that there was “a security breach” in the operations of Smartmatic.

On March 17, Comelec Comm. George Erwin M. Garcia insisted that the poll body’s system “was never hacked.”

Related Tags

data breach Comelec Commission on Elections (Comelec) smartmatic
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