Comelec on track to obtain certification for automated poll system
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is on track to obtain the certification needed for the automated election system (AES) of the 2025 elections, according to Comelec chair George Erwin Garcia on Tuesday.
According to Garcia, the process for the hardware and software and the transmission had been completed while the trusted build for the overseas voting counting system (OVCS) will be conducted this week.
“This is the first time na may pangatlong system. It’s the OVCS or the internet voting. Ito po ’yung tinatapos na lang, ’yung internet voting, kung bakit hindi maissue yung certification. Hindi pwedeng mag certify ng isa lang. Kailangan yung kabuuan ng system ng proseso,” Garcia said in a press conference after the signing of the memorandum of agreement with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
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(This is the first time that there is a third system. It’s the OVCS or the internet voting. The reason why the certification cannot be issued is because this is being completed. We cannot certify one system only. It has to be the whole system of the process.)
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Garcia explained that the OVCS underwent delay as there were adjustments on the system to accept new government-issued IDs, aside from the passport, for the requirement of the internet voting.
Trusted build refers to the process of assembling the overall program that will govern the entire AES. Meanwhile, Section 11 of Republic Act No. 9369 or the Election Automation Law of 2007 states that the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC)—composed of the Comelec, DICT, and DOST—shall certify through a chosen international certifying body that the automated election system “is operating properly, securely, and accurately.”
This came after Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday called on the joint congressional oversight committee on the AES to investigate reports that the Comelec allegedly failed to secure a certification for the security and accuracy of the AES for the upcoming elections.
Garcia also noted that the certification is done by the TEC, an independent body created by the law.
Hontiveros also said that the poll body should have obtained the certification not later than three months before the May 2025 elections, in line with the Republic Act No. 8436 as amended by Republic Act No. 9366 or the Election Automation Law.
“Kung ganun ’yung argumento, pag pinag-aralan ’yung batas, with all due respect, ’yan po ay directory. Kung ganun po, ’yan pong election natin simula 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, ay violation po pala lahat ’yun,” Garcia argued.
(If that is the argument, if you study the law, with all due respect, that is directory. If that is the case, then the 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 elections are all violations.)
Garcia noted that the previous issuance of certifications occurred days before the elections.
He also said that the poll body is ready to attend once the joint congressional committee on the AES launches a probe on the matter.
