THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday signed an P18 billion contract with South Korean firm Miru Systems to lease 110,000 automated counting machines (ACMs) for the 2025 midterm polls despite a pending court case filed by Smartmatic Philippines Inc. questioning its disqualification from all election-related bids and procurement.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said in the absence of a court ruling, the commission will stick to its timetable, even as he said the poll body would abide by the decision of the Supreme Court, where the Smartmatic case is pending.

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