Political parties to review PCOS source code

MANILA, Philippines - Political parties may soon start to review the source code of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines to be used in the May 13 elections.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Sixto Brillantes said yesterday the review of the source code can start anytime, as Dominion Voting Systems is expected to release the PCOS source code.

The Comelec is readying notices to concerned political parties on the start of the review, he added.

Brillantes said they are ready to open the review of Smartmatic’s consolidation and canvassing system (CCS) next week.

“The notice says that as soon as that is finished, then we will proceed with the PCOS, which is the Dominion source code,” he said.

Brillantes said negotiations are almost over and Dominion is ready to release the source code.

“We can still disagree, the negotiations can still bog down, but that will just be a misfortune if it does happen,” he said.

The Comelec has set an April 15 deadline to end the negotiations, Brillantes said.

Dominion previously refused to give permission for SLI Global Solutions, the Comelec’s third party reviewer, to release the source code certification.

Brillantes has initiated tripartite negotiations for the release of the source code.

Under the Poll Automation Law, the Comelec should make the source code available and open to any interested political party or group to conduct their own review.

Meanwhile, Brillantes said the printing of official ballots could be finished by tomorrow.