MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will activate its online Precinct Finder two weeks before the Sept. 14 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections (BPE) to help registered voters locate their polling places.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said Tuesday that the online tool will complement the voter information sheets already being distributed in the Bangsamoro region.

“While the Comelec is already distributing voter information sheets, which have reached various areas in the Bangsamoro region, we do not want to rely solely on those sheets,” Garcia said in an interview during the launch of the Handbook on Data Privacy Policies at Manila Cathedral in Intramuros.

Garcia said the Comelec is coordinating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to ensure the security of the system before its activation.

The coordination is intended to prevent a repeat of the 2016 “Comeleak” incident, when the Comelec website was hacked and sensitive voter information was compromised.

“We are currently seeking approval from the DICT. Ever since the Comeleaks incident in 2016, both the Comelec and the DICT have become extremely cautious,” Garcia said.

He clarified that seeking DICT approval for systems used by the poll body does not compromise the Comelec’s independence.

“Any system that the Comelec launches or utilizes requires DICT approval. This is not an issue nor does it violate the Commission’s independence,” he said.

Garcia acknowledged that no cybersecurity measure can completely eliminate the risk of hacking, noting that methods used to breach information systems continue to evolve.

“We must remember that even in the IT (information technology) field, nothing is perfect. The methods and attempts used to breach systems evolve daily, so we at the ITD (Information Technology Department) are constantly adjusting,” he said.

He also warned Comelec personnel to remain vigilant against malicious messages and other potential cybersecurity threats.

“Opening them on a laptop could provide an entry point for those seeking to steal information from the Comelec,” Garcia said.

The BARMM Parliamentary Elections are scheduled for Sept. 14, with registered voters set to elect members of the region’s parliament.