PHILIPPINE COMPUTER SOCIETY ASSESSMENT REPORT ON THE PROBABLE INCIDENCES OF FRAUD IN THE LONE DISTRICT OF BILIRAN DURING THE

2010 ELECTIONS

A select panel of Philippine Computer Society (PCS) members and officers was convened upon the invitation of Biliran Kawsa, a registered peoples movement, questioning the integrity of the 2010 elections in the province and lone district of Biliran. The objective of the panel was to provide a technical appreciation of the evidences presented by Biliran Kawsa regarding what they claim were instances of fraud committed during the May 10, 2010 elections specific Biliran. Based on the evidences presented, the PCS panel concluded that there were highly questionable instances where the probability of fraud may have been perpetrated using the PCOS machines. Using the audit trail of the PCOS machines and the computer audit trail of the Municipal Board of Canvassers (MBOC), several incidences stood out: 1. The audit trail of the MBOC computers showed that it received the transmission of the elections results for a precinct from an internet address. But a few hours later, the same audit trail showed that the MBOC computer received another batch of elections results for the SAME precinct from ANOTHER internet address. Seven (7) precincts were observed to have this pattern. 2. The audit trail of a PCOS in a certain precinct showed all the tasks that the PCOS performed, including four unsuccessful transmission attempts to the MBOC computers. The last entry in the audit trail was the closing down of the PCOS with no results transmitted. But three hours later, the MBOC audit trail showed that the MBOC computer received, from a different IP address, a successful transmission from the precinct where the PCOS was already closed. 3. There was an instance when the transmission to the MBOC occurred past midday of May 11 or about 29 hours after the polling place first opened.
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PHILIPPINE COMPUTER SOCIETY ASSESSMENT REPORT ON THE PROBABLE INCIDENCES OF FRAUD IN THE LONE DISTRICT OF BILIRAN DURING THE 2010 ELECTIONS Page 2 of 2 pages

The three examples cited raise concerns about the integrity of the Biliran elections using PCOS machines. The first instance showed that the MBOC computers could receive election results for the SAME precinct from several PCOS machines -- with the possibility of bearing different results. The second instance showed that the MBOC computers could -- and, in this instance, did -- receive elections returns independent of the PCOS assigned to the precinct (since the PCOS of that precinct was already closed). The third instance shows the MBOC can accept transmissions outside the normal range of time allowed for a reasonable delay in the transmission. This long gap in transmission may be used to alter the authentic elections results for pivotal precincts. The panel also observed that there were inconsistent protective counters displayed by the PCOS machines. Like the odometer of a vehicle, the protective counter indicates the number of ballots previously scanned by the PCOS machine. The protective counters displayed from 1 to as many as 138 prior to the actual start of voting. The MBOC audit logs also had error messages in Spanish, indicating that the software used may have been rehashed from a previous election exercise. The Filipino taxpayer may have paid brand new prices for second hand PCOS machines. PCS is inviting everyone to review the PCOS and MBOC audit trails that it used to arrive at this conclusion. Moving forward, the Philippine Computer Society enjoins the Commission on Elections and its newly formed Advisory Council as well as the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Automated Elections to thoroughly review its plans for the upcoming automation of the 2013 elections to avoid instances such as the ones previously mentioned that will cast doubts on the integrity of the election process.