The logo of Smartmatic is seen on a sliding door at the headquarters of the company in Caracas, on Aug.2, 2017. Ronaldo Schemidt, AFP/File  

MANILA -- The founder and a former executive of voting machine company Smartmatic surrendered to federal authorities in Miami this week to face allegations that they gave bribes to secure contracts in the Philippines' 2016 elections.

Smartmatic founder Roger Piñate and the company's former vice president of hardware development Jorge Miguel Vasquez both surrendered in Miami federal court.

The indictment alleges that between 2015 and 2018, Piñate, Vasquez, and others "caused at least $1 million in bribes to be paid" to former Philippine Commision on Election (Comelec) Comelec chief Andres Bautista.

Piñate, the Venezuelan-American founder of Smartmatic, was granted an $8.5 million bond and subsequently released. He did not enter a plea as his defense attorney has not yet been permanently assigned, court documents on the Aug. 12 proceedings showed.

Vasquez, 62, pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was released on a $1 million bond.

The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury last Thursday, outlined a complex scheme involving the alleged overbilling of voting machines and laundering of bribery payments through international bank accounts.

If convicted, Piñate and Vasquez each face a maximum of 25 years in prison for the charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, international laundering of monetary instruments, and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Comelec banned Smartmatic last year from bidding on election contracts, but the country's highest court overturned the ban in April.

SC finds abuse of discretion in Comelec ban on Smartmatic

Bautista, who headed the election commission from 2015 to 2017, awarded Smartmatic a $199 million contract to supply the Philippines with 94,000 voting machines for the 2016 presidential election won by former leader Rodrigo Duterte.

Comelec mulls appealing SC decision on Smartmatic disqualification

Bautista, 60, faces one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and three counts of international laundering of monetary instruments, the Justice Department said in a statement.

The investigation into the alleged corruption began in 2017 when Bautista's wife reported her husband’s unexplained wealth to Philippine authorities during their divorce proceedings.

The federal probe in South Florida soon followed, culminating in the recent charges against the 49-year-old Piñate, Vasquez, and other co-conspirators.

BAUTISTA 'NOT IN US CUSTODY' 

Bautista earlier denied any wrongdoing, writing on X that he "did not ask for nor receive any bribe money from Smartmatic or any other entity."

US DOJ Spokesperson Nicole Navas Oxman told ABS-CBN News that Bautista "was not in US custody."

"There is not a date currently set for Bautista in the US," Oxman said in an email, a hearing for the former Comelec chief was set.

If Bautista surrenders, only then will the court decide on the amount of his bail, since the offenses are bailable, the US official said.

"A US judge would determine bail/bond conditions when a defendant is presented in court so no determinations have been made yet," Oxman said.

Bautista last week claimed the charges against him were "politically influenced by key Philippine officials."

He did not name anyone or offer proof. 

Ex-PH poll chief Bautista vows to clear name, accuses PH officials of being behind cases against him

'INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY'

A Smartmatic spokesperson confirmed to local media in Florida that Piñate and another executive were placed on a leave of absence.

The firm earlier said that "our accused employees remain innocent until proven guilty."

"No voter fraud has been alleged and Smartmatic is not indicted," the company said, adding: "Voters worldwide must be assured that the elections they participate in are conducted with the utmost integrity and transparency. These are the values that Smartmatic lives by."

Smartmatic has filed lawsuits against Fox News and allies of former president Donald Trump, including ex-New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, over false claims that its machines were used to manipulate the results of the 2020 US election.

TEACHERS’ GROUP REJECT SMARTMATIC MACHINES 

Officials of the 9,000-member DepEd Teachers Union (DTU) on Thursday called on the government not to allow the return of Smartmatic vote counting machines in next year’s elections. 

Public school teachers who lead the union noted that hundreds of VCMs malfunctioned in the 2022 elections and made their stint as members of the Board of Election Inspector more difficult. 

“Nananawagan ang DTU sa gobyerno na burahin na ang Smartmatic bilang poll service provider ng Pilipinas,” DTU National Secretary General Marnito Muñoz said. 

(The DTU is asking the government to erase Smartmatic as a poll service provider in the Philippines.)

“Aktwal naming naranasan ang kapalpakan ng makina, bukod sa puyat, sobrang gutom at pagod. Kami yung mga frontliners, kami yung minumura ng botante,” DTU President for Visayas Remus Mariñas said.

(We actually experienced how the machines malfunctioned, aside from having little sleep, working in the middle of hunger and being exhausted. We are the frontliners and we are the ones being berated, cursed by voters)

The DTU leaders said their stance had nothing to do with the ongoing legal battle between Smartmatic and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and that their only concern was to prevent a repeat of the difficulties they experienced with defective voting machines. 

“Natatakot ang mga guro na gumamit muli ng makinang palyado... Kami naman ang frontliner, kami talaga ang nakaharap kada may eleksyon. Kaya karapatan naming ipagtanggol ang karapatan ng mga guro na pangalagaan ang kanyang kalusugan sa araw ng eleksyon na kami lagi ang minumura ng mga bumoboto. Kasi laging sira yung kanilang makina. Kaya, tama na. Palitan na,” DTU National President Cynthia Villarin said.

(Teachers are afraid to use defective machines. We are the frontliners every election.We should defend our rights on election day.) 

“Wala kaming posisyon kung anumang makina yan. Let’s give a chance to innovation, sabi nga... kahit na sino pa yan, kahit na Miru, zero, o sinumang nagwagi dyan. Wala kaming pakialam dyan. Ang pakialam namin, huwag pahirapan ang mga guro kapag eleksyon,” she added.

(We have no preference on the machines. Let’s give a chance to innovation, whether it’s Miru or whoever wins the contract. We don’t care about them. What we care about is making things easy for teachers during elections.)