First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos reportedly met with Smartmatic President Roger Piñate in the weeks leading to the May 9, 2022 elections, former Biliran Rep. and abogado Glenn Chong has claimed.
In a press conference Wednesday (September 13), Chong accused Smartmatic of violating its contract with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) by allegedly meeting with a representative of a presidential candidate.
Smartmatic was the election technology provider for the May 2022 elections. Chong has repeatedly accused the tech firm of engaging in anomalies since its partnership with the Comelec began in 2010, the year of the first automated elections in the Philippines.
Chong claimed he knew about Marcos’ supposed meeting with Piñate because he worked as an adviser for the presidential campaign of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. starting October 2021.
Sometime in March 2022, Chong claimed Marcos called him, and abogados Ivan Uy and Hubert Guevara to a meeting.
Chong quoted Marcos as allegedly saying during the meeting, “Guys, I have a meeting with the owner of Smartmatic. I need two technical guys to come with me.”
He, however, said he was reportedly told by Marcos that he can’t accompany her to the meeting because “they”—presumably referring to Smartmatic officials—“hate you so much.”
Uy is now the Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) while Guevara is the Senior Deputy Executive Secretary.
Chong claimed Piñate was the Smartmatic official who met with Marcos and the “two technical guys,” though he said none of them would ever admit the meetings ever took place.
“By itself, meron siyang (Mrs. Marcos) plausible deniability. Ang plausible deniability niya is hindi naman nangyari [yung meeting]. Ang sagot ko doon, may subsequent events na nangyari to support the idea na nag-usap kayo [ni Piñate],” Chong said.
He said there’s evidence that Piñate was in the Philippines from April 19 to 23, 2022 and May 3 to 18, 2022.
Chong said he found it odd that a victory party was already underway at Marcos’ campaign headquarters along EDSA two hours after voting closed on May 9, 2022. He said the timing of the celebration coincided with the alleged rapid counting of the votes, where 37 percent of the votes cast were already tallied within the first hour after precincts closed.
The quick count of the ballots on Election Day showed Mr. Marcos with a substantial lead over his rivals. He was proclaimed president with a vote of over 31 million.
Chong said Smartmatic should no longer be involved in the 2025 midterm polls and future elections in the Philippines.
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