The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has tapped its two accredited citizens’ arms and two government agencies in helping the poll body do its random manual audit for the upcoming Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections this 14 September.

COMELEC Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Friday, Aug. 28, signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the undertaking with representatives of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), the Department of Education (DepEd), and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Garcia stressed the importance of conducting the random manual audit for the first BARMM parliamentary elections.

The chairman explained, “Ito ‘yung magsasabi kung tama ba lahat ng mga makina na pagbilang nila, at the same time tama ba ‘yung sistema, proseso na ipinapatupad natin.”

(This will show if the automated counting machines are correct in the counting of votes and, at the same time, determine if the system and process we are implementing is right.)

The COMELEC chief said all the automated counting machines (ACMs) underwent tests, source code reviews and have received certifications.

However, the chairman stressed that, “Ang pinakafinal statement d’yan ay ‘yung random manual audit…”

(The final statement would come from the random manual audit.)

If there is a big difference in the percentage between the results of the polls and the random manual audit, Garcia warned, “Bale wala rin ‘yung election natin.”

(The election results won’t matter.).