The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will activate its Precinct Finder feature two weeks before the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections (BPE) on Sept. 14.

In an interview at the launch of the “Handbook on Data Privacy Policies” at Manila Cathedral in Intramuros on Tuesday, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said BARMM registered voters will have access to the online tool where they can locate their polling places.

“While the Comelec is already distributing voter information sheets, which have reached various areas in the Bangsamoro region, we do not want to rely solely on those sheets,” he said.

Garcia said they are coordinating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to prevent a repeat of the “Comeleak” in 2016, when the website was defaced and hacked, and subsequently resulted in the breach of sensitive voter information.

“We are currently seeking approval from the DICT. Ever since the Comeleaks incident in 2016, both the Comelec and the DICT have become extremely cautious,” Garcia said. “Any system that the Comelec launches or utilizes requires DICT approval. This is not an issue nor does it violate the Commission’s independence.”

He said no policy or guideline is foolproof when someone is determined to hack a system.

“We must remember that even in the IT (information technology) field, nothing is perfect. The methods and attempts used to breach systems evolve daily, so we at the ITD (Information Technology Department) are constantly adjusting. We must be particularly vigilant against malicious messages. Opening them on a laptop could provide an entry point for those seeking to steal information from the Comelec,” he said. (PNA)