DOST to hold parallel test on printers for Eleksyon 2025 — Comelec

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will conduct a parallel test of the printing machines to be used for the 2025 national and local elections (NLE), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Tuesday.

"In-approve ng Comelec first time na ang DOST ay magkakaroon ng parallel testing para sa ating mga makina," Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia told reporters on the sidelines of the ocular inspection of printers at the National Printing Office (NPO) in Quezon City.

(For the first time, the Comelec has approved that DOST conduct of parallel testing of our machines.)

The DOST may hold the software test by November or December, in time for the accreditation for international certification of the printers, Garcia added.

According to the poll chief, a technical evaluation committee (TEC) created under Republic Act 9369 will lead the government's independent testing of the printers.

The TEC will likewise outline the guidelines for the parallel test of the DOST, as well as the terms of reference (TOR) for the process.

"Maganda 'yung may gano'n sapagkat kung mayroon ka ng international certification at DOST, kahit sa software at least kahit papaano, 'yung kumpiyansa natin tataas at later on, baka kayanin na ng DOST na mag-conduct ng testing hindi lamang sa software kundi kahit hardware ng ating mga makina," said Garcia.

(It's good to have that because if you have international certification and DOST, even with software, at least our confidence will increase, and later on, the DOST may be able to conduct testing not just for software but also for hardware of our machines.)

"Kung kaya pala naman ng DOST na mag-test, bakit kakailanganin pa tayo na magkaroon ng international certification? 'Pag nagkagano'n, puwede kami mag-move na ipa-amend ang batas at pumayag na DOST na lang ang magte-test ng mga susunod na mga makina na gagamiitin natin dito sa ating bansa," he said.

(If the DOST can conduct testing, then why do we still need to have international certification? If that's the case, we can move to amend the law and allow the DOST to test all the machines we'll be using in our country from now on.)

Section 11 of RA 9369 stipulates the TEC "shall certify, through an established international certification entity to be chosen by the Commission from the recommendations of the Advisory Council, not later than three months before the date of the electoral exercises, categorically stating that the AES, including its hardware and software components, is operating properly, securely, and accurately." The bidding process for the international certification entity is still ongoing.

The law provides that the TEC is comprised of a representative each from the Commission, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the DICT, who shall act as chairman of the Committee.

In a related development, the Comelec conducted an ocular inspection of the two printers by Miru Systems Co. Ltd. to be used for the P1.6-billion printing contract for the 2025 May polls at the NPO in Quezon City.

Some 73 million ballots will be used for the next year's elections.

The poll body earlier said it is targeting to start the printing of the official ballots by December this year. — VDV, GMA Integrated News