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September 15, 2021

Reviewing the local source code: Sen. Risa Hontiveros asks the Commission on Elections about the local source code review of the software for the country's Automatic Election System (AES) in preparation for the holding of the 2022 elections. During the virtual hearing of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the AES Wednesday, September 15, 2021, Hontiveros sought information as to who will be allowed to review the source code and the manner it will be carried out. Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo, citing Comelec Resolution 10712, said among the parties to be given the opportunity to inspect and examine the AES source code are interested political parties, information technology groups and other Filipino programmers. Casquejo added the giving away of the actual source code will have to be decided by the Comelec en banc given the security and copyright concerns. “Even if the source code is subject to a non-disclosure agreement, it is impossible to review it by reading on the screen. So at the very least, could Comelec tell us today who exactly will review the source code, who will be allowed to review the source code. Because Madam Chair, in the real world, security by obscurity has never worked,” Hontiveros said. (Screen grab/ Senate PRIB)

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