Ex-business school exec arrested for hacking

In what is considered as the first case under the Electronic Commerce Law, a former executive of an international business school was arrested yesterday morning for alleged hacking and online piracy.

Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation’s Anti-Fraud and Computer Crimes Division nabbed Ceasar Mañalac, 31, former information technology (IT) support head of the Thames International Business School, in his house at the San Lorenzo Subdivision in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Mañalac’s arrest, the NBI said, was the first under the e-Commerce Law which was enacted two years ago after the "Love Bug," which crippled computer networks worldwide, was reportedly traced to the Philippines.

"It was the first case where we used the e-Commerce Law as basis for an arrest. This is a significant development in the world of IT," said NBI agent Palmer Mallari.

The NBI said Mañalac, while still employed by Thames located in San Juan, Metro Manila, hacked into the school’s computer files and stole copyrighted materials, study guides and training manuals which he sold to foreign investors of a school he intended to put up.

Vivienne Tan, Thames’ chief executive officer, sought the NBI’s help after learning about the hacking which, Mallari said, could cost the school millions of pesos in damages.