Automated election supplier Smartmatic on Thursday said the vote counting machines (VCMs) still under warranty would save the government billions.

In a three-page letter dated 13 May addressed to Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairperson George Garcia, Smartmatic reaffirmed its commitment to honor the warranty up to 2025 for the over 93,000 VCMs purchased by the poll body.

“Smartmatic, in compliance with the [earlier] agreements, does affirm the availability of parts, labor, and technical support and maintenance to the Comelec until the year 2025. Additionally, this contract provision may be implemented within three months,” Smartmatic said.

Smartmatic was referring to the two lease contracts for VCMs it entered into with the Comelec in 2015 for the 2016 elections.

In all, 93,977 precinct-based optical mark reader (OMR) machines and their accompanying election management system (EMS) are still covered by the warranty, which extended to three subsequent national and local elections after the 2016 polls, under the Smartmatic and Comelec contracts.

Smartmatic also reminded the Comelec that the poll body still owned the automated election system (AES) software for the EMS, the vote counting system, consolidation and canvassing (CCS) or the overall system used in the 2022 elections, which the poll body procured for P402.73 million in 2021.

Smartmatic noted that the AES had been certified by the international certifying body ProV&V and the Comelec’s TEC (Technical Evaluation Committee), and was used with the VCMs in the 2022 elections.

“Hence, for the 2025 national and local elections, the Comelec may use the existing VCM machines and the Comelec-owned AES software that was used and certified in the 2022 national and local elections,” Smartmatic said.

“Most notably, using the VCMs and the certified AES can save the Comelec and the country billions of pesos,” Smartmatic noted.

“We reiterate our unwavering support for the Comelec and our continued commitment to share with the Comelec our unmatched election expertise gained in more than 20 years of helping poll bodies run better elections in more than 35 countries worldwide,” Smartmatic said.

The Comelec used the Smartmatic technology for the elections held between 2010 and 2022.

The Comelec earlier said online voting will be the primary mode for casting ballots for overseas Filipinos in the 2025 national and local elections, except in countries with internet restrictions.

However, the Supreme Court was petitioned by former Caloocan representative Edgar Erice to direct the Comelec to continue using the 97,000 VCMs in the 2025 national and local elections.

Erice’s petition was part of a supplement to the certiorari he filed last month seeking to annul the P18-billion contract between Comelec and South Korean provider Miru Systems for a new automated election package.