Comelec, DOST, DICT partner to ensure vote integrity

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday signed a deal with two state agencies to ensure vote integrity in the May 12 midterm polls.

Inspection of automated counting machines (ACMs) and certification of electoral board members will be undertaken by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), as part of a tripartite agreement with the Comelec and Department of Information and Communications Technology.

The DOST will conduct stress and electronic tests of newly acquired ACMs from Miru Systems, which replaced Smartmatic machines since the country shifted to automated elections in 2010.

Since 2016, the passing rate of machine operator certification has reached over 90 percent, the DOST noted.

In the 2022 polls, almost 95 percent of 205,413 electoral board members were certified.

The DOST held a “training of trainers” program from Feb. 4 to 21, with over 600 certifiers nationwide overseeing the process.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia has recommended passing a law recognizing the DOST as the main election-certifying body.

No stunts

Meanwhile, the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition is calling on the Comelec to focus on the midterm elections instead of publicity stunts.

The poll body earlier held an education tour for a beauty pageant contestant who admitted on television that she was clueless about the Comelec’s functions.

Public school teachers have been denied opportunities for a dialogue about the safety and working conditions of educators volunteering as electoral board members, the group said.

Manipulation

ACMs should not be connected to the internet before and during the printing of election returns to prevent the possible manipulation of poll results, according to information technology expert Jeryll Harold Respicio.

Respicio, charged with cyberlibel by the Comelec, said Filipinos should be skeptics and assume that someone might attempt to rig the outcome of the elections.

“If the source code (of the ACMs) is corrupted on election day and has access to the internet, that is the only way to manipulate the elections and change the results of the election returns,” he noted.

Respicio earlier claimed that he could manipulate election results using backdoor programs that can override ACMs, leading the Comelec to file a complaint against him.

If the complaint reaches the Supreme Court, he said he is excited to demonstrate how backdoor programs can be used to take advantage of the vulnerability of ACMs.

Respicio is running for vice mayor of Reina Mercedes town in Isabela. –  Neil Jayson Servallos, Evelyn Macairan