Comelec turns over to BSP the source code for Eleksyon 2022 transmission router

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday turned over to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for escrow the source code for the transmission router to be used in Eleksyon 2022.

Comelec Chairperson Saidamen Pangarungan personally handed over to Bangko Sentral Governor Benjamin Diokno the sealed box containing the source code, which will thereafter be placed inside a vault in the BSP, according to a report by Tina Panganiban-Perez on GMA News' Unang Balita on Tuesday.

The source code contains the human readable instructions which direct how a machine will operate.

The Comelec earlier deposited to the BSP the source codes for the election management system, consolidation and canvassing system, and vote counting machines in accordance with the law.

"The safety and security of the source code is vital to the credibility of the elections for May 9. As such, we are grateful to the BSP for holding the source codes in escrow until Election Day," Pangarungan said.

All the source codes used for automated elections since 2010 are with the BSP.

The source code turned over on Monday is for the transmission of the results of the voting on Election Day.

This was checked a number of times to ensure that the system will not be overwhelmed such as what happened during the elections in 2019. The tallying of results of the voting was delayed then by seven hours as the system could not handle all the data it was simultaneously receiving.

Comelec preps

According to Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo, chairperson of the Comelec steering committee, only the final testing and sealing of vote counting machines (VCMs) is needed to complete the poll body's preparations for Eleksyon 2022. The final testing and sealing of VCMs is currently being done.

"Doon natin makikita kung may mga defective VCMs tayo. So lahat ng mga vote counting machines and our official ballots were already delivered doon sa mga area," Casquejo said.

(We will see [in the final testing and sealing] if we have defective VCMs. So all the vote counting machines and our official ballots were already delivered to the areas.)

The Comelec said 70% of voter information sheets have already been delivered.

Meanwhile, Comelec Commissioner George Garcia on Tuesday said no defective or VCMs with glitches were reported so far.

"So far, sa awa ng Diyos, wala naman po at maayos namang naipamahagi na ang VCMs... Wala po tayong natanggap na kahit na anong may major glitch o problema sa pagte-test ng mga makina," Garcia said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(So far, by the grace of God, no defective VCMs were reported and they have been properly distributed ... We have not received any reports of major glitches or problems in testing the machines.)

Garcia likewise assured that substitution of VCMs will not happen in "controlled" territories or areas allegedly managed by war lords.

"So far wala po tayong report ng mga ganiyan. All accounted po ang lahat ng 106,000 na VCMs natin sa buong Pilipinas," Garcia said.

(So far we have not received such reports. All of our 106,000 VCMs throughout the Philippines have been accounted for.)

The municipalities of Tubaran and Malabang in Lanao del Sur were placed under the control of Comelec due to threats in the May 9 elections.

Local absentee voting

Meanwhile, the Comelec office in Intramuros, Manila continues to receive local absentee voting ballots.

These are kept in a heavily guarded room in the Comelec office, and will be opened on May 9 for counting. —With a report from Jamil Santos/KG, GMA News