Pointing to the "mounting concerns over the credibility of the automated election system", members of the Makabayan bloc have urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to switch to manual ballot counting in polling precincts nationwide.
In particular, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas expressed grave concern over the use of version 3.5 of the Automated Counting Machine (ACM) software during the Final Testing and Sealing (FTS), instead of the certified version 3.4 that had undergone local source code review and international third-party evaluation.
“Ang biglaang paggamit ng bagong bersyon ng software na hindi pa naipapaliwanag nang buo sa publiko ay isang seryosong banta sa integridad ng halalan (The sudden implementation of a new software version that has not yet been fully explained to the public poses a serious threat to the integrity of the elections)," she said in a statement Monday afternoon, May 12, or roughly halfway into the conduct of the mid-term polls.
"Hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa malinaw kung pareho pa rin ba ang hash code ng version 3.5 kumpara sa certified na version 3.4, o kung may mga pagbabagong ginawa na maaaring makaapekto sa kung paano binibilang ang ating mga boto,” the senatorial aspirant added.
(Up to now, it is still unclear whether the hash code of version 3.5 remains the same as the certified version 3.4, or if there have been changes that could affect how our votes are counted.)
“Ang anumang pagbabago sa software na hindi ipinaaalam o ipinaliliwanag ay maaaring gamiting instrumento ng pandaraya. Kung hindi malinaw kung ano ang binago, paano natin mapapanghawakan ang kredibilidad ng resulta?” Brosas asked.
(Any changes to the software that are not disclosed or explained could be used as a tool for cheating. If it is unclear what has been modified, how can we uphold the credibility of the results?)
In addition, Brosas highlighted recent incidents reported by Babae Network that further erode trust in the automated system.
In Marikina, a voting machine malfunctioned at 9:01 AM, preventing a ballot from being fed into the machine. By 9:15 AM, the machine was reportedly functioning again.
Meanwhile, in Taguig, a voter faced an issue where the machine failed to read her ballot due to what witnesses described as the ballot being "pressed too hard" during shading.
Gabriela called on Comelec to immediately revert to manual counting of ballots.
"Sa gitna ng mga anomalyang ito, hindi na makapagkakatiwalaan ang machine count. It is both timely and essential that we revert to manual counting to defend the people’s right to vote,” Brosas added.
(Amid these anomalies, the machine count can no longer be trusted. It is both timely and essential that we revert to manual counting to defend the people’s right to vote.)
“Hindi natin maaaring balewalain ang mga aberyang ito. Kapag mali ang pagbasa ng makina sa boto ng isang mamamayan, ito ay hindi lang simpleng error—ito ay tahasang paglabag sa kanyang karapatang bumoto,” she further said.
(We cannot simply disregard these irregularities. When a machine misreads a citizen’s vote, it is not just a simple error—it is a blatant violation of their right to vote.)
Former congressmen Carlos Zarate and Neri Colmenares from Bayan Muna echoed Brosas' apprehensions.
"The shift from the certified version 3.4, which underwent local source code review and independent certification, to version 3.5 labeled as 'updated' by Comelec raises serious doubts about the integrity of the election process The discrepancy in hash codes between these versions suggests that the software may have been altered without proper transparency, opening the door to potential fraud and voter disenfranchisement," Zarate said.
He further explained, "The only acceptable software during election day should be the one that has passed thorough review and certification. Any unverified updates, especially those that change hash codes, undermine the reliability of our automated elections."
Colmenares also called on Comelec to be transparent: "Comelec must release all information regarding the changes made from version 3.4 to 3.5, including explanations for the hash code modifications and reasons for the software update. This is essential to restore public trust."
The Bayan Muna chairman added: "Nakakatanggap kami ng mga reports ngayon ng over voting, ibang boto and lumalabas sa resibo, pagkasira ng AES machines at overheating. Labas pa dito ay untransparent talaga ang AES kaya dapat na magkaroon ng manual counting."
(We've been receiving reports of over-voting, receipts showing different votes, AES machine malfunctions, and overheating. Beyond these issues, the AES itself lacks transparency, which is why manual counting must be implemented.)