The Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Monday, Jan. 31, signed an escrow agreement for the safekeeping of the automated election system (AES) source code in relation to the May 2022 polls.

The virtual signing was led by Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas and BSP Gov. Benjamin Diokno.
Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo explained why the AES source codes need to deposited at BSP.
"The source codes undergo trusted build and ensures the source codes integrity, accuracy and reliability. Once certified, these are deposited and kept in the BSP for safekeeping until the date of elections," he said.
"With the BSP and Comelec working hand in hand it is without doubt that the credibility and the security of the 2022 national and local elections are maintained and will never be compromised," added Casquejo.
"In line with this constitutional mandate, the Comelec will exhaust every possible means to ensure that the election results are reflective of the genuine will of the Filipino," he said.
Diokno, meantime, assured that the vault assigned to the poll body is secured by a series of metal locks and combination codes.
"The keys to the metal locks as wel as the combination codes are under the sole custody of Comelec officials to ensure the source code will not be tampered by anyone," he said.
Under Republic Act 9369 to ensure free, orderly, honest, peaceful, credible and informed elections, the Comelec is mandated to place in escrow the source codes in BSP for safekeeping.
The source codes during the 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019 elections were also deposited in the BSP's vault.