Two hacking suspects to be arraigned today

Two former employees of a business school will be arraigned before the Pasig Metropolitan Trial Court today in the first criminal case involving computer hacking in the country.

Leilani Garcia and Caesar Mañalac are charged with violating Republic Act 8792, or the Electronic Commerce Act.

Garcia, former systems supervisor of Thames International Business School, is accused of illegally accessing the e-mail account of Thames through her phone at home.

Records show that Garcia sent and received electronic messages and documents through the Thames e-mail account between December 2000 and January last year.

Mañalac, former Thames information technology support head, is accused of hacking into the school’s system to profit from the sale of materials, including copyrighted study guides and training manuals.

Mañalac, who knew the e-mail account’s password, is also charged with qualified theft.

Mañalac was arrested early this month in his home in Sta. Rosa, Laguna by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), a year after criminal charges were filed against him in court.