Comelec, BSP sign escrow agreement for Eleksyon 2022 source codes’ safekeeping

Officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Monday signed an agreement for the safekeeping of the source codes which will be used for the May 2022 national and local elections.

At a virtual event, Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas and Commissioner Marlon Casquejo, who heads the steering committee for Eleksyon 2022, explained that the escrow agreement is vital in ensuring the safety and security of the election system.

In his opening remarks, Casquejo said the escrow agreement will ensure that the source code which will be used for the automated election system (AES) will be secured with the “highest possible level of security.”

Source codes are the commands or instructions conveyed in a software program such as the AES in a manner that is understandable to the computer, Casquejo explained.

These source codes undergo trusted builds to ensure its integrity, accuracy, and reliability, he added.

Last January 13, the Comelec had conducted a second trusted build to correct issues in two software components of the AES found during the mock elections last December.

“Once certified, these codes are deposited and kept in the BSP or the Bangko Senral ng Pilipinas for safekeeping until the day of elections,” Casquejo said.

“With the BSP and the Comelec working hand in hand, it is without doubt that the credibility and security of the 2022 national and local elections are maintained and will never be compromised,” he added.

For his part, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno assured the public that the source codes will be kept in a vault with a multi-security system.

“The BSP guarantees that the vault assigned to Comelec is secured by a series of metal locks and combination codes. The keys to the metal locks, as well as the combination codes, are under the sole custody of Comelec officials to ensure that the source code will not be tampered by anyone and will remain unaltered, thus, preserving the legitimacy of the elections,” Diokno said.

Since 2010, Diokno said the BSP has been partnering with the Comelec for the safekeeping of the source codes as mandated by Republic Act 9369.

The principal signatories of the escrow agreement are Abas and Diokno.

The virtual signing of the agreement was attended by Comelec Executive Director Bartolome Sinocruz, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez, Atty. John Rex Laudianngco from the Comelec Law Department, as well as Assistant Governor Elmore Capule and Director Rosabel Guerrero from the BSP.

According to Casquejo, the schedule of the actual turnover of the source codes to BSP is yet to be determined, but it will be open for media coverage subject to the security protocols of the central bank. — RSJ, GMA News