- Comelec XI clarifies Starlink Kit storage controversy
THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) XI on Sunday addressed the controversy surrounding the storage of election paraphernalia at a private residence in Dumanlas, Buhangin, confirming that the provider, iOne, failed to coordinate with their office to inspect the storage.
In an interview with TIMES on Sunday, Comelec XI assistant regional director Atty. Gay Enumerables confirmed the legitimacy of iOne Resources Joint Venture with Ardent Networks Inc. to provide for the Starlink satellite kits and solar panels found in the house.
“That was a legitimate delivery; they just made a mistake with the warehouse. So, on the part of iOne, that’s where they fell short – they didn’t coordinate with us, and we weren’t able to inspect their chosen storage facility,” she added.
In an interview on Sunday morning, April 6, 2025, Atty. Enumerables explained, “It’s like this: iOne is Comelec’s provider for Starlink and solar panels. They are responsible for retrieving the equipment from their warehouse, utilizing their delivery personnel – everything is theirs for the delivery and installation to the identified Comelec areas.”
“Now, what happened was that iOne, without our knowledge or coordination, did not inform us that they were experiencing difficulty finding a warehouse. According to the homeowner whom we called yesterday,” Enumerables continued.
“The homeowner also did not realize the impact of their actions, especially since this is an election period, and anything displaying the Comelec logo will naturally raise questions among the public,” she stated.
Enumerables sympathized with the homeowner because she was unaware of what she was getting into. “Our only wish is that iOne at the higher level had informed us beforehand. If they had identified a warehouse, whether private or public, we could have at least inspected it and advised them against using that particular location.”
The official also said they requested police escorts because people have become “paranoid” about potential fraud in the 2025 midterm elections.
She said the delivery of the equipment was originally scheduled for April 15, 2025, but they had to move it earlier “to resolve the issue quickly.”
Potential cases?
Enumerables said she’s not privy to the contract between the provider and the Comelec head office, so she could not comment on the potential sanctions against iOne.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it sees “no irregularity” in the temporary storage of Starlink satellite transmission devices and solar panels in a private residence in Davao City.
Nonetheless, the discovery of the equipment in an unauthorized storage facility created confusion, which necessitated the deployment of the SWAT team to the area to control the crowd.
She mentioned that the travel from Dumanlas to Davao del Norte was initially scheduled for around 6 a.m. but was delayed due to the crowd hindering the loading process. “The people wouldn’t allow the loading, so I just instructed them to load the trucks, and upon arrival in the North, they will sort and arrange the delivery to the different provinces.”
“Delivery is per province,” she added.
Enumerables confirmed that the boxes arrived in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, around 9 a.m. on Sunday, April 6, 2025.
“I monitored the entire night. There are many solar panels. These are intended for areas with weak or no signal, but these are not the main transmission devices because people immediately think it is,” she clarified. “These are not the main transmission devices. Our main transmission devices are really in the ACM (automated counting machine) kits.”
She further stated that the equipment would be delivered to “different areas in the Davao region,” and sorting was underway before final deployment to the provinces.
Meanwhile, Atty. Enumerables appealed to the media, “When you write the article, please… because it’s difficult; I saw on the live feed there in the north, it wasn’t a reporter, it was someone spreading intrigue. So please, when you write, clearly state that iOne is a legitimate provider of Comelec, and their only mistake was choosing an unsuitable warehouse as a storage facility.”
Part of preparations
In an official statement released Saturday afternoon, Comelec spokesperson Atty. John Rex Laudiangco clarified that the Starlink devices and solar panels are solely intended to “transmit election returns and certificates of canvass.” They could not read or count ballots and have no election software or program that would affect the automated vote-counting machines and consolidation and canvassing systems.
According to the agency, iOne JV identified the site as one of their staging hubs, a temporary holding area where equipment is stored before final deployment to voting and canvassing centers across Davao Region.
It added that the supplier confirmed that this location was used due to logistical constraints and the need to meet deployment timelines by April 15.
Laudiangco added that Comelec directed iOne JV to relocate the equipment from the private residence and transfer it directly to the designated election offices under the supervision of Comelec personnel and the Philippine National Police.
