Oversight committee on automated polls to hold executive session on Comelec 'hacking' probe

THE Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Election System granted a request by the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) for an executive session after its top official disclosed that it had identified the group behind the alleged hacking of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) servers and had "sufficient facts" which needed explanation behind closed doors.

Senator Maria Imelda Josefa "Imee" Marcos and Representative Elpidio Barzaga Jr. who presided over the hearing granted the request of CICC Executive Director Cezar Mancao 2nd who also said that based on investigation, Smartmatic, the system that runs the servers of the Comelec was "compromised" but clarified that "we are not also accusing them of doing it themselves at this moment".

"We have identified the group that claimed and we have sufficient facts, but this time we cannot reveal them in the session. Maybe I can ask for an executive session to further explain our information," Mancao said.

"We believe that there is really a need for us to take the inquiry to a higher level in order to zero-in on the source of the information," Mancao said.

After it was reported that the Comelec data servers were hacked, its spokesman James Jimenez clarified that "the information that was supposed to be taken from the Comelec was in fact not from the Comelec," Jimenez said.

Mancao agreed, saying, "There was no hacking on the Comelec because they were offline" but he added that their investigation also revealed that "there was indeed a breach of the system as we have gathered from our sources".

Since the 2010 presidential elections, Smartmatic has provided the automated election platform and technology of the Comelec.

Attempts to stop the company from continuing its service amid speculation that it had participated in manipulating the results of previous elections had failed.

Other House members present during the meeting were Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera-Dy, Reps. Edgar Erice (2nd District, Caloocan City) and Argel Cabatbat (Party-list, MAGSASAKA).

Source: TheManila Times