Review of automation software to start February

An official from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Wednesday the public review of the automation software will start early February after it is certified as “functional for use” in the May elections. Comelec commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal told INQUIRER.net that the poll agency is awaiting the certification and source code report on the automation software from international agency Systest Labs. Systest Labs, which tapped a team of 15-20 IT personnel to hold the source code review since October , is expected to submit its full report and certification of the automation software from February 4 to 6, Larrazabal added. The automation software contains source code or programmable instructions that will be installed on the poll machines to define operations such as counting, canvassing and electronic transmission of voting results from precincts to canvassing centers. “We are in the process of finalizing the guidelines for the conduct of the source code review, which we expect to be done on the first week of February,” said Larrazabal, who also chairs the steering committee on automation. “Developers from political parties, poll watchdogs and other groups can join the source code review for the automation software in February after it gets certified by Systest. The law requires that the automation software has to be first tested and certified as functional by an international agency,” he added. Larrazabal added the source code review will be done under a controlled environment at the Comelec main office to prevent leakage and protect the intellectual property rights of Smartmatic-TIM. “The review for the source code must be done in a controlled environment meaning the area is fully secured and any part of the software cannot be copied and taken home by the reviewers,” the poll official added. The Comelec is set to meet on February 1 with representatives of different political parties to finalize the requirements of reviewers and the conduct of the source code review, said Larrazabal.