The Makabayan Coalition called for the manual counting of votes in the face of questions on the integrity of the software used by the automated counting machines (ACM) in today’s national and local elections.
The coalition said changes in the ACM software from version 3.4 to the “updated” version 3.5 is creating serious doubts and opportunities for massive cheating and voters’ disenfranchisement.
Makabayan pointed out that the hash codes between the two versions are different.
“In fact, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has yet to explain if version 3.5’s hash code is compatible with version 3.4 that passed a local source code review and international certification,” Makabayan said.
The group said the use of the so-called updated version may have changed the software itself.
“Again, we see a lack of transparency in the entire automated elections systems,” Makabayan said.
Earlier, software expert and Reina Mercedes, Isabela vice mayoral bet Atty. Harold Respicio challenged Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia to reveal the hash codes of the new version.
“There are already doubts by the people that cheating mechanisms may already be imbedded in the source codes of the machines,” Respicio said last week.
“When the hash codes are made public, we can then compare them with the audited has codes through the initialization report,” he said.
Makabayan said that because the integrity of the ACM software is being put into question, it demands the manual counting of votes in all voting precincts nationwide.
It said that the Comelec should provide a support system to the precincts to enable manual counting.
If the manual counting of votes should turn out to be different from the results coming from the ACMs, the manually counted votes must prevail, Makabayan said.
The group told Comelec that the hash codes must still be made public, along with an explanation why the poll body decided to use a new version of the codes.
“If our votes are not truly reflected, this is voter disenfranchisement and a violation of our rights,” Makabayan said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
