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Comelec to open PCOS source code for public review


After much prodding from several groups, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday said it would open to the public the computer software that will be used for the 2010 automated polls. Comelec chairman Jose Melo said that once the source code review from the international software testing company SysTest Labs arrives from Colorado, USA, the poll body would allow interested parties to take a look at it. SysTest was selected by the Comelec to review and certify the source code of the automated election system in accordance with Republic Act 9369 or the Poll Automation Law. “We will talk with those who would like to review the source code… so that we can agree on ground rules on what can be done and what cannot be done," Melo told reporters. Melo issued the statement after groups like the Automated Election Watch, Akbayan party-list group, and the Computer Professionals’ Union bashed the poll body for the non-disclosure of the source code. The Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines that will be used in the May polls will be operated by a computer program that will exist in two forms – the source code and the executable code. The source code is composed of human readable instructions that programmers will write and rewrite as needed. This source code is then converted ("compiled" is the technical term) into executable code, which is what the computer will actually run. Since the executable code cannot be readily understood by humans, the source code is crucial in determining whether the PCOS machines do the counting of votes properly and that there are no holes or trap doors that can corrupt data or be used for cheating. The Comelec will have a walk-through with groups interested to look into SysTest’s source code review on February 2 , according to Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal. After the walk-through, Melo said the Comelec would proceed with the "trusted software build" on February 4, where the poll body will install the software into the PCOS machines. A "software build" converts the source code into executable code. A "trusted build" is one that is done with adequate measures to ensure that the executable code is a verifiable and faithful representation of the source code. "Pagka all go, then all go tayo sa automation; otherwise we have the contingency plan sa manual for manual (If it's all go, then we go through with automation, otherwise we have the contingency plan to conduct manual elections)," Melo said. Larrazabal said the Comelec would conduct field tests of poll machines on January 27 and 29. The Comelec expects the Technical Evaluation Committee to submit a report on the results of the tests before February 10. The Comelec will also conduct mock elections on February 6 where the poll body will duplicate the field tests held in various areas nationwide. Earlier in the day, poll machine supplier Smartmatic-TIM said that it had already finished manufacturing all the 82,200 PCOS machines for the 2010 elections. - KIMBERLY JANE T. TAN/ARCS/JV, GMANews.TV

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