MANILA, Philippines - Voting machine vendor Smartmatic on Friday stood by the integrity of the automated election system despite claims of fraud by lawmakers who lost their re-election bids in the May 10 elections.

Cesar Flores, Smartmatic Asia-Pacific president, maintained that the compact flash cards for the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines could not be tampered even if they are stolen and someone tries to replace its data with fake election results.

"Everything is encrypted with 108 encryption, which is used by banks to scramble data. If they try to access the data, they cannot because it's scrambled. If you take the card, you won't be able to read it," the Smartmatic executive said during the House of Representatives hearing on the alleged election cheating

Flores issued the statement after Quezon City 2nd District Rep. Mary Ann Susano questioned the integrity of the compact flash cards. During the hearing, Susano, who lost in the city's mayoralty race, showed a red backup flash card that bore Smartmatic's logo.

After examining the card, Flores said he could not immediately conclude if the card was among the more than 76,000 cards they configured in their Cabuyao, Laguna warehouse.

He insisted that the backup card should not have fallen in the hands of Susano because it should still be inserted in the PCOS machine.

He said that according to procedure, the backup cards should be inserted in the PCOS machines before the transmission of votes and then sealed before the machines are turned off and delivered back to the warehouse.

From the warehouse, he said the backup cards would be handed over to the Comelec for record purposes.

Susano claimed she has in possession several other Smartmatic backup cards.

More complaints

La Union 2nd Rep. Thomas Dumpit Jr., who also lost in the elections, blamed PCOS technicians hired by the Smartmatic for his loss in the elections.

Dumpit accused the technicians of padding the votes of his rival. He also criticized the board of election inspectors for declaring as stray the votes cast in at least 5,989 ballots.

Without directly accusing Smartmatic of involvement in the fraud, he said the PCOS technicians "remain covert under the mantle of Smartmatic but deadly as ever and could decide the fate of the candidates."

He urged the Commission on Elections and the House Committee on Electoral Reforms and Suffrage to "summon the names of the technicians employed by Smartmatic."

Dumpit asked the Comelec to declare a failure of elections in his district and conduct special elections to "remove the shadow of doubt."

Another losing reelectionist, Iloilo Rep. Raul Gonzalez Jr., claimed that the Comelec's focus for speed compromised the integrity of the automated elections.

He also claimed that he lost because of "prepared results" inserted into the voting machines. He said that while he is not complaining of his loss, he did not want the allegations of fraud to be swept under the rug.

Abakada party-list Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz, meanwhile, urged the Comelec to compel Smartmatic to disclose the people behind its subcontractors.

Dela Cruz said he has information that one of the IT companies hired by the Smartmatic to help in the automated elections is connected with controversial businessman Atong Ang.