Garcia: No ACMs with software version 3.4.0 were used in Eleksyon 2025

Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia on Monday refuted claims that the certified and audited software program in the automated counting machines used in the 2025 midterm elections were substituted from version 3.4.0 to version 3.5.0.

This, as a group of religious, former officials, and civil society organizations earlier filed a complaint before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against him and other officials over their alleged interference with the software used in the May polls. 

Garcia said that only the ACMs with “updated” software version 3.5.0 were used during the elections. Asked if there were any ACMs with software version 3.4.0 utilized, he said: “Walang walang wala po. Talagang 3.5.0 version tayo.”

(There’s really none. We only used the 3.5.0 version.) 

“[Ang 3.4.0 version] ang unang version kasi. After ng mga pagbabago, may mga in-adjust and therefore, biglang ngayon nagkaron ng 3.5.0 version. ‘Yun na ‘yung na-source code review. ‘Yan na rin ‘yung na-trusted build, ‘yan na ’yung na-deposito sa Bangko Sentral. ‘Yan na po lahat ang nilagay sa ating mga makina, ‘yung version natin na updated na 3.5.0,” he explained. 

(The 3.4.0 version was the first version. After the changes and adjustments, we had a 3.5.0 version. That's what underwent the source code review, the trusted build, and the one we deposited at the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The updated version 3.5.0 was also what we put on our machines.) 

Garcia said that even the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting could attest that the Comelec only used the ACMs with the 3.5.0 software version during the elections. 

“'Yung mismong PPCRV, naggawa ng report... Ang sabi nga nila, ‘We were there.’ Nandoon po sila mismo nung nagkaron ng trusted build, nakita nila mismo na 3.5.0 siya, hindi naman siya 3.4.0,” he said.  

(The PPCRV made a report and said that they were there during the conduct of the trusted build. They saw for themselves that it was the 3.5.0 version used, not the 3.4.0.) 

“At saka ang pinaka-best evidence sa ganyan, ‘yun bang pinadalang resulta mula sa presinto ng mga makina ay tumutugma doon sa lahat ng natanggap sa mga servers? ‘Yung PPCRV 99.909% ang accuracy. ‘Yun naman ating random manual audit, 99.9972%,” he added. 

(And the best evidence to prove that is whether the results sent from the precinct where the machines were matched those received by the servers. The PPCRV said it was 99.909% accurate, while our random manual audit showed 99.9972% accuracy.) 

In the complaint, Garcia, six Comelec commissioners, and three other people were named respondents.

They face 110,000 counts of system interference, representing the 110,000 ACMs used in the 2025 elections. They were also charged with another 55,874,700 counts of system interference, representing the 55,874,700 votes they consolidated in Data Center 3.

The complainants said the respondents allegedly violated Paragraph 4, Section 4 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

This states that system interference is the “intentional alteration or reckless hindering or interference with the functioning of a computer or computer network, by inputting, transmitting, deleting, deteriorating, altering, or suppressing computer data or program, electronic document, or electronic data message, without right or authority.” —AOL, GMA Integrated News

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