MANILA – All 110, 620 automated counting machines to be used in the May 2025 midterm polls were delivered to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday.
In a statement, Ken Cho, vice president of Miru Systems, said the final delivery which consists of the last batch of 9, 860 machines and their respective hard cases, power cords, and adapters is now at the Comelec warehouse in Biñan, Laguna.
“As an experienced election provider, we understand the importance of delivering on the government’s milestones. We are proud to have finished delivery of our new and more sophisticated machines, and will continue to work diligently with the Comelec as these machines undergo strict quality control and security tests,” Cho added.
Miru also provided an additional 600 machines as a contingency without an additional cost.
The official of the South Korean-based firm noted that the delivery is one month ahead of the Philippine government’s mandated timeline for its preparation for next year’s elections.
Comelec Chair George Garcia, who was at the warehouse to witness and inspect the final delivery of the machines, thanked Miru for their prompt delivery of the machines.
“Nagpapasalamat tayo sa Miru Systems kasi mas pinapadali nila ang buhay ng Commission ng Elections sa maagang delivery nila. Ang kagandahan ng mas maagang delivery ay mas maaga din ang hardware assessment tests (We thank Miru Systems because they made the tasks of the Commission on Elections lighter with their early delivery. The good thing here is that we can hold hardware assessment tests at an earlier schedule),” Garcia added.
All machines and election peripherals are undergoing hardware acceptance tests at the Comelec warehouse.
A random five percent of the machines will also undergo stress testing, according to Miru Systems, but “so far, none of the machines that have undergone hardware acceptance testing have been rejected.”
At the same time, the Miru official said the software to be used for the elections is also undergoing a strict source code review by industry professionals and election stakeholders, and will also undergo international certification.
Since all machines are now in the country, the Comelec has begun training election board members from all regions on how to operate and ensure the security of the machines.
Likewise, the poll body will be holding official election roadshows and mock elections as part of the voter’s education program, wherein all municipalities will have a chance to showcase the features of the new machines to their constituents.
It is set from December 2, 2024 to January 30, 2025.
“Our machines are sophisticated and ensure higher efficiency and security for those in charge of polling stations. We are excited to begin rolling out the machines for the different regions so that all Filipinos will feel confident in the security of the upcoming elections,” Cho added. (PNA)