MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday said they are already in possession of the software to be used for the May 2022 polls, which is scheduled to be reviewed starting October.

• Comelec to hold local source code review ahead of 2022 polls

During the joint congressional oversight panel hearing, Comelec commissioner Marlon Casquejo told lawmakers that Smartmatic has already turned over the "final software" set to be used in the 2022 national and local elections.

"With regards to review, we now use the final software. Unlike in 2019, we used the base software. Since it was already turned over recently, on Sept. 16, we already have the final software to be reviewed starting October," Casquejo said.

According to him, a more comprehensive source code review will be done for the 2022 polls.

"We expounded the scope of our local source code review. That is for the sake of transparency and accountability for this 2022 elections," he said.

The source code review is mandated under the automated election law. Political parties and other stakeholders may participate in the review.

Casquejo said source code review will begin next month until March next year, with the first three months as "guided" review and the following three as "unguided."

In the guided phase, engineers from the software provider will explain the different functions of the software. In the unguided phase, reviewers will be free to look into any lines of code they want to study.

As of now, 18 groups made up of 70 reviewers signified intention to join the source code review.

• Comelec insists voter registration only until Sept. 30 but...

—With reports from Robert Mano, ABS-CBN News

RELATED VIDEO

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv