ILOILO City – In a preemptive move to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) disclosed that all Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) to be used for the May 12 election will be deliberately kept offline throughout the voting period to eliminate any risk of digital sabotage or tampering.
Comelec Iloilo City Election Officer Atty. Pinky Tentativa said the ACMs will remain disconnected from the internet from the opening of the polls at 5 a.m. until the close at 7 p.m.
“They will only be activated for transmission after the voting had closed and the election returns (ERs) had been printed and reviewed,” Tentativa said.
This procedure, she noted, is a nationwide standard intended to bolster public confidence in the country’s automated election system, which has previously come under scrutiny due to glitches and fraud allegations.
“No result will be transmitted without being first printed and verified by poll watchers and election officers. This ensures transparency and leaves no room for external manipulation while voting is ongoing,” Tentativa added.
In cases where voting precincts lack strong internet connectivity, ACMs can be physically moved to nearby areas with stable signal to complete the data transmission. Meanwhile, in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), such as parts of Antique, Starlink satellite internet will be used to facilitate efficient transmission.
Comelec stressed that the offline voting protocol, along with secure post-voting transmission, is a key part of their system safeguards to ensure credible elections./PN
