MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on March 24 deposited in escrow the Final Trusted Build Source Codes for the 2025 National and Local Elections, in compliance with the Automated Election System (AES) Law.

In a joint statement Monday, BSP and Comelec said the source codes, which will be used for the May 12 automated polls, were secured inside the BSP Head Office in Manila. 

These include codes for the Automated Counting Machine (ACM), Consolidation and Canvassing System (CCS), Election Management System (EMS), Secure Electronic Transmission System (SETS), and Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS).

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia and BSP Officer-in-Charge Elmore Capule led the deposit, joined by Comelec Commissioners Rey Bulay and Nelson Celis, BSP Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, as well as representatives from election watchdogs Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL). 

Before the deposit, Comelec and BSP formalized an escrow agreement to safeguard the source codes, which underwent an international certification process and local source code review.

The source codes will ensure the accuracy, transparency, and credibility of the electronic election processes, including vote counting, results transmission, and election management.

The BSP also holds in escrow the source codes from previous automated elections in 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2022, reaffirming its role in protecting the integrity of the country’s electoral system.