MANILA, Philippines – Long-time poll official James Jimenez resigned as point person of a Commission on Elections (Comelec) project because a technical glitch in their recent event “resulted in the flashing of an image” of an actress in a bathing suit. 

Jimenez remains as spokesperson of the Comelec, but is stepping down as focal person for the local source code review of the automated election system.

The source code is the “master blueprint” of the vote-counting machines and other systems to be used in the elections. The local source code review, which examines the source code, aims to build confidence in the automated election system.

Jimenez said he tendered his resignation on Monday, October 15. The technical glitch happened at the launch of the local source code review on Saturday, October 13, at a university. 

“Last Saturday we kicked off the source code review and unfortunately there was a small technical issue that resulted in the flashing of an image that was inappropriate to the event,” Jimenez said in a press conference during the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) on Monday.

“So again I regret that, but I have to take responsibility because it was our committee that arranged that event and that sort of thing should have been better handled,” Jimenez said. 

“As a consequence I have this morning tendered my resignation as focal person for the local source code review – again, because of that unfortunate incident,” he added. – Rappler.com