IN a move of far-reaching consequences to the way we conduct our elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has barred Smartmatic, the Venezuelan election provider, from participating in any future Philippine election. This is an unquestionable victory for our right and duty to conduct our own elections without the intervention of a foreign election provider. Unless a differently minded court intervenes and reverses this decision, we should now be able to put up a genuinely Philippine automated electoral system.