Villar sees riches for 'Love Bug' hacker

The billionaire member of the House of Representatives, Speaker Manuel Villar Jr., has this unsolicited advice to suspected "Love Bug" creator Reomel Ramones: Use computer skills productively and get rich.

Villar said the creation of the computer virus - which wreaked havoc worldwide and caused an estimated $10 billion in damage - proves that Filipino information technology (IT) skills are world class. If used constructively, such skills can bring wealth to those who possess them, he said.

"They can get rich and bring recognition to our country," said Villar, who made his first billion in real estate before becoming a lawmaker.

He lamented that Ramones and his live-in partner, Irene de Guzman, apparently used their computer skills the wrong way.

Villar said that had the two devoted the same time and effort in making the "ILOVEYOU" virus to the creation of an innovative computer program, they might have been instant celebrities and millionaires.

But he said what the couple did show was that Filipinos can compete with foreign IT workers.

In fact, Villar said, Filipinos have an edge because of their high proficiency in spoken and written English.

The suspected "Love Bug" authors were released the other day by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for lack of a law that they could have violated.

In fact, it was the NBI which maverick Makati City Rep. Joker Arroyo accused of breaking the law for arresting and detaining the suspects.

Arroyo said the NBI and the Department of Justice knew that the Philippines has no law governing the use of computers and electronic commerce.

He said the NBI should have instead arranged a meeting between the suspects and computer giants like Microsoft which should find out how their supposedly fool-proof systems were penetrated.

That would have immensely benefited the computer industry, Arroyo said.

Meanwhile, Villar said the House would give priority to a bill that would govern electronic commerce and Internet use and transactions in the country.

"This is the trend in the global economy, and if we do not move to be part of this, we may be left behind," he said.

"The IT sector will play a vital role in the country's development, so we should come up with the necessary legislation to aid its development," Villar added. -