Comelec conducts 2nd trusted build to correct software issues found during mock polls

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has conducted a second trusted build to correct issues in two software components of the automated election system found during the mock elections last December.

Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo said they conducted the trusted build to fix the programs for the vote counting machines (VCM) and the consolidated canvassing system (CCS) in line with the preparations for Eleksyon 2022.

“There are improvements or we have found some improvements that need to be corrected when we conducted our field test as well as our mock elections,” he said during his opening speech.

“As we have said earlier before when we conducted our trusted build in Huntsville, Alabama, if there is a need to do a trusted build because of some issues which involve source codes, then we need to do another trusted build,” he explained.

Casquejo, who sits as the head of the steering committee for Eleksyon 2022, said there were no problems with the elections management system (EMS) only for the two components which are the CCS and the VCM.

Dr. Franz de Leon from the Department of Science and Technology, a member of a panel tasked to oversee the process, said there were “some enhancements and security touches that were done” that is why the Comelec conducted the second final trusted build.

After more than four hours of system reconfiguration, the source codes and the trusted build were stored in flash drives which were later on kept in two sealed envelopes.

Casquejo said the three flash drives for the source code will be kept in Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas while the four flash drives for the trusted build will be kept by the Information Technology Department at the Comelec headquarters in Intramuros, Manila.

The Comelec has streamed live the safekeeping of the envelopes at the Palacio del Gobernador on Thursday afternoon. — RSJ, GMA News