AS the local election campaign kicks off tomorrow, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has assured voters that the new Automated Counting Machines (ACM) set for use in the upcoming elections are secure and cannot be hacked.
During the Pag-ila 2025 press briefing on March 26, 1st District Election Officer Atty. Dexter Nagtalon announced that 233 ACM machines will be deployed in the 1st district and 249 in the 2nd district.
Addressing concerns over possible vote manipulation through hacking, Nagtalon emphasized that such interference is “very impossible” due to a special security feature in the machines.
"During the transmission from the polling places, simultaneous transmission to seven servers," Nagtalon explained, adding that hackers would need to breach all seven servers simultaneously — a feat he deems impossible.
"Hacking is impossible; they have to track all level servers of the ACM," he reiterated.
Nagtalon further stressed that no existing technology can bypass the ACM's security features, ensuring transparency in the election results from local to national levels.
Comelec officials also assured voters of security during the May 12 elections, stating that Cagayan de Oro is categorized as green, meaning there are no active threats from armed groups or candidates’ supporters.
2nd District Election Officer Atty. Ramil Acol emphasized that armed forces are on standby nationwide to ensure smooth elections.
"Kaya, kaya, even sa national armed forces kay kining exercise sa right of suffrage is an institutional mandate, so assume that mag-exercise man ug right ang mga tao, so there is no cause nga matingga or mawala atong election," Acol said.
Both Comelec officials assured that Camp Alagar’s regional battalion is prepared to respond to any threats that may arise, particularly in hinterland areas, to prevent disruptions in the election process.
