Comelec secures EMS software for 2016 automated polls
MANILA, Philippines — As part of its efforts to promote transparency during the coming May elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday started securing the final “trusted build” of the software for the election management system (EMS) that would manage the automation of the 2016 national elections.
The final trusted build process for the EMS software converts the source code into binary or executable code that the computer can interpret and run, the Comelec explains.
The final trusted build was conducted on Tuesday, at the Comelec office in Manila by SLI Global Solutions, the international entity that will certify the source codes created by technology provider Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM).
The final version of the EMS software will be saved on a CD, then sealed and turned over to the Comelec.
The poll body intends to deposit the CD in escrow at a vault at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Wednesday (Jan. 27.)
Meanwhile, IT consultant Lito Averia of the National Citizen’s Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) questioned the conduct of the activity, saying that the review by local groups and parties of the customized EMS source code was not yet finished.
“Why are we doing this trusted build activity without the local group having seen the customized code yet? The trusted build process is going ahead without the benefit of the local group having reviewed the customized code,” asked Averia.
He said such a “premature” activity could pose the danger of having an automated election system (AES) that has a source code different from the one being reviewed by different stakeholders.
“To me, there is no assurance that they are working on the same source code… that is my issue,” said Averia.
There are two levels of the source code review: that of the base code, and of the customized code that will comply with election laws, according to Averia.
He said that both SLI Global and the local groups had reviewed the base code, but only SLI Global had reviewed the customized code so far.
“Apparently, the customization [of the base code] had been completed already, and the customized code had been reviewed by SLI Global. The local group however has not seen the customized code,” Averia said.
Marlon Garcia, project manager of Smartmatic, explained that time constraints led to the decision to proceed with the trusted build, ahead of the completion of the customized code review.
Meanwhile, the final trusted build of the source codes for the vote-counting machines and the canvassing system to process the election results will take place about two weeks from now. SFM
