MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday said it plans to open next week the source code review for the automated election system (AES) that will be used in the May 2019 polls.
“Our expectation is October 8 mag-start ang source code review (the source code review will start on October 8),” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in an interview.
Jimenez added that they are looking at the De La Salle University in Manila as the venue for the activity just like in the last polls.
Last week, the Comelec concluded the period for interested parties to file their written requests to participate in the source code review.
Jimenez said based on the partial list, there are four applicants that have applied for the assessment, though he did not identify them.
“The review itself, we want to have it opened as (soon) as possible. We want the parties to achieve the opportunity to check the code and be comfortable with it,” Jimenez added.
The source code review shall cover the Election Management System; Vote Counting Machine; Consolidated Canvassing System; and other related systems.
The activity will have two phases, which include the preliminary review of the source codes of the AES used in the 2016 polls with initial enhancements for the 2019 elections; and the review of the final version to be used on Election Day.
Republic Act No. 9369 states that the commission shall “promptly make the source code available and open to any interested party or group, which may conduct their own review”. (Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
