The Commission on Elections announced that it has set on 17 October an en banc hearing on a petition seeking to block Smartmatic from the poll body's procurement of new automated election system for the 2025 national and local elections.

Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said that the hearing will be conducted at the poll body's session hall in its headquarters at Intramuros, Manila.

The order also directs Smartmatic to comment on the petition within five days and the pre-marking of all records of the commission and the petitions on 16 October.

Garcia earlier announced the formal hearing on the petition last Wednesday.

It was filed by former Department of Information and Communications Technology chief Eliseo MIjares Rio Jr., Augusto Cadelina Lagman, Franklin Fayloga Ysaac, and Leonardo Olivera Odono.