As the Philippines National Bureau of Investigation prepared to file charges against a failed computer science student for allegedly releasing last month’s “Love Bug” virus, President Joseph Estrada yesterday signed into law the E-commerce Act.

As the Philippines National Bureau of Investigation prepared to file charges against a failed computer science student for allegedly releasing last month’s “Love Bug” virus, President Joseph Estrada yesterday signed into law the E-commerce Act, prompted by widespread criticism the country had no laws in place to punish the virus authors. Under the new statute, the nation’s first electronic commerce law to outline punishment for computer-related crime, criminal hackers and computer-virus spreaders can be fined a minimum of 100,00 pesos ($2,364) and a maximum “commensurate” with the damage caused, and can be imprisoned for up to three years. The law, which is effective immediately, also sets a legal framework for online transactions conducted in the country and is intended to improve overall government services with its call to computerize agencies that issue legal documents like permits and licenses. The E-Commerce Act, however, is not retroactive, so it cannot be applied to the ongoing “Love Bug” case. But there appears to be a strong connection between the law’s passage and last month’s virus attack that infected computers worldwide, causing estimated damages in the billions of the dollars. Philippine police expect to file charges this week against Onel de Guzman, 22, according to the NBI. De Guzman is alleged to have written the virus that attacked millions of computers on May 4 and 5.