FBI still out to get ‘virus man’

Three years after unleashing the Lovebug computer virus that caused $10 billion in damages worldwide, its author Onel de Guzman now wants "to be left alone."

However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is not about to oblige as the US wants him extradited so he could face the consequences of his act.

"Even after three years, De Guzman is not yet off the hook," said Ricardo Diaz, chief of the National Bureau of Investigation-International Police (NBI-Interpol).

Diaz said the FBI has been working for the prosecution and extradition of De Guzman so he could face the charges in the US, which took the brunt of the computer virus unleashed in May 2000.

"The last time I conferred with our counterparts (the FBI), they were in the process of filing charges against him," Diaz told The STAR in a telephone interview.

If ever a warrant of arrest is issued by a US court, Diaz said, the NBI would be more than willing to help facilitate De Guzman’s extradition, like it did with the case of Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez.

"The FBI would like him to suffer the consequences. They would like De Guzman to serve as an example and that anyone should think twice before creating electronic havoc," Diaz added.

De Guzman, a resident of Pandacan, Manila, was tagged as the author of the Lovebug virus, which he unleashed through an e-mail message with the heading "iloveyou."

The Lovebug prototype was reported to be De Guzman’s school thesis, which was rejected by his professor.

Former US President Bill Clinton, who was the incumbent at the time of the virus attack, branded De Guzman as a "cyber terrorist" and should be arrested, jailed and prosecuted, Diaz pointed out.

The NBI official said the Lovebug was one of the main issues discussed during an international conference in which NBI agents earlier attended. "All law enforcers present in the conference wanted to know how the illegal act could be prevented," he said.

Diaz said the Lovebug fiasco was "an embarrassment to Filipinos."

"The author gave computer schools in the Philippines a bad image. We were even branded as center for cyber terrorism," he said.

Diaz agreed with the FBI that De Guzman’s act was not an act that could easily be forgotten or forgiven.

"The damage was immense, not only in costs.

Data needed to be reconstructed and retrieved. Some were beyond repair," the Interpol chief added.

Diaz noted that the US government also wants the Lovebug to be a test case on cyber terrorism.

The Lovebug, which was the very first computer crime case investigated by the NBI, triggered the birth of the E-commerce law passed by Congress.

The law, which punishes computer hacking and fraud with as much as three years imprisonment and at least P100,000 in fines, could not be applied against De Guzman.

"Our law is not retroactive," said Diaz, but stressed the offense is considered a crime in the US.

The NBI-Anti Fraud and Computer Crimes Division told The STAR that De Guzman has never left the country since he was never issued a passport by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

De Guzman reportedly operates a small business selling and repairing cell phones in a popular mall in Metro Manila.