The National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) has affirmed that automated counting machines (ACMs) used in the May 2025 elections will not be connected to the internet during the voting period, countering claims raised by a local candidate in Isabela.
In a statement released March 12, NAMFREL responded to allegations made by Atty. Jeryll Harold Respicio, a vice mayoral candidate in Reina Mercedes, Isabela, who posted on Facebook that ACMs are vulnerable to cyberattacks due to being connected online during voting.
Respicio further argued that Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Resolution No. 11098 does not explicitly prohibit connecting the machines to the internet before the election returns are printed and the ACM is ready for transmission.
“Connecting the ACM to the internet during the voting period renders the ACM vulnerable to possible attacks,” Respicio claimed in now-deleted posts.
NAMFREL acknowledged that any internet-connected device can be susceptible to cyber threats but clarified that the election system includes multiple layers of safeguards.
“COMELEC ensured that the minimum capabilities of the AES (Automated Election System) as provided by law are present and that security measures are implemented to mitigate the risks,” NAMFREL said.
Among the safeguards are controlled access to ACMs using smart cards with unique passwords, data encryption, secure transmission channels, and hash code verification, in compliance with Republic Act No. 8436 as amended by R.A. 9369, known as the Election Automation Law.
NAMFREL also confirmed that Annex B of COMELEC Resolution No. 11098 does not explicitly ban internet connectivity during voting but said the actual procedures imply such a prohibition.
During the final testing and sealing of ACMs, USB devices are used only for port testing and are instructed to be removed after use.
Instructions for Election Day indicate that modems or ethernet cables should be connected only after the first nine copies of the election returns have been printed.
“The series of instructions clearly indicates that the USB modem or the Ethernet cable will be plugged-in to the appropriate port only after the printing,” NAMFREL stated.
NAMFREL emphasized that this has been the standard practice since the introduction of the AES in the 2010 elections.
“To dispel any doubt,” NAMFREL recommended that COMELEC amend Resolution No. 11098 to include an explicit provision stating that ACMs must remain offline until after the initial batch of election returns is printed.
Respicio has not issued a public response to NAMFREL’s statement as of press time.
