Uncertified

Comelec defies the law. Again.

- ALEX MAGNO

Republic Act 9369, our automated elections law, requires that the software and hardware components of the electronic counting system must be certified by an independent third party three months before the elections.

This requirement reflects global benchmarks for ensuring the credibility of automated counting systems.

The deadline for certification, by our law, fell on Feb. 12. It is now close to the end of the month. The poll body has kept silent about this particular requirement.

This is not an unimportant deadline. The certification process is an important safeguard ensuring the vote counting technology we are using meets the highest standards of security, transparency and reliability.

The certification process assures our voters that the system the Comelec will use is free from vulnerabilities, that it is properly configured and that it will accurately record and count the votes cast. Absence of this certification undermines public trust in the electoral process.

Certification is not just a technical requirement. It is a legal and procedural obligation that helps guarantee the integrity of our elections.

Our election law is specific. Once the certification process is complete, Comelec must place the source code for the whole counting system in escrow with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). This should happen three months before elections a deadline that has already passed.