Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chairperson George Erwin M. Garcia firmly denied the accusations against him, calling them a smear campaign and demolition job aimed at forcing him to resign from his position. According to Garcia, all the allegations seem to stem from a single source and are supported by Smartmatic, a company that previously supplied election machinery in the Philippines.
In a press conference last Aug.8, COMELEC staff, along with Chairperson Garcia, presented evidence including deposit slips, addresses, companies, and individuals related to Smartmatic, which allegedly aimed to undermine Garcia’s credibility. These documents demonstrate that Garcia is not involved in the issues faced by Smartmatic.
Chairperson Garcia assured that he will not resign from his position, stating that if everyone from the president to barangay officials were to be subjected to issues, then no one would remain in service, even if the allegations are untrue.
During the press conference, Garcia showed letters sent to two banks, with responses confirming that they had no customers named Garcia. The issues being spread against Garcia appear to be related to Smartmatic’s loss in the bidding for the machinery to be used in the 2025 elections. Additionally, there are issues with Smartmatic linked to money laundering, associated with former Comelec Chief Andres Bautista. The machinery for the 2025 elections has been approved and awarded to Miru Systems.
