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DATE=5/10/2000 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT TITLE=PHILIPPINES / COMPUTER VIRUS (L ONLY) NUMBER=2-262182 BYLINE=AMY BICKERS DATELINE=MANILA CONTENT= VOICED AT: /// Re-issuing to correct CR number and to clarify, in intro, that student named by college has not been designated as a suspect in the love- bug case. /// INTRO: A computer college in the Philippines (on Wednesday) has identified a student who wrote a software program very similar to the "I love you" computer virus, but investigators have not named the student as a suspect. Amy Bickers reports from Manila on the latest developments in the case of the love bug virus. TEXT: While Philippine officials continue to investigate leads and analyze computer codes, administrators at the A-M-A computer college in Manila released the name of a student -- Onel A. de Guzman - and identified him as the writer of a recent report on how to steal passwords from the Internet. The officials say the report and the "Love Bug" virus share similar characteristics. The student left school after his report was rejected by teachers, who said it amounted to burglary. Mr. De Guzman lives in the same apartment as Reonel Ramones, a bank employee who was arrested on Monday on suspicion of involvement with the virus. He was later released because of a lack of evidence. His girlfriend is also Mr. De Guzman's sister, and she is wanted for questioning by police. Philippine investigators said Wednesday that the computer virus - the fastest moving in history -- - could have started as a prank by hackers who did not foresee the worldwide damage it would cause. Officials say they may have intended to use it to steal passwords from local Internet subscribers and use them to gain free surfing time. The virus was originally sent under the subject heading "I LOVE YOU," with an accompanying attachment, from two Philippine e-mail addresses. Now there are a number of variations, and some are still circulating. Once opened, it is capable of sending a copy of the virus to everyone in the user's address book and destroying files, including pictures and graphics. Computers run by the U-S State Department, Britain's House of Commons, and numerous corporations have been affected, with damage estimated as high as 10 billion dollars Investigating the so-called "Love Bug" case has been difficult for the Philippine police, who lack high-tech equipment, experience, and laws to deal with cyber-crime. /// REST OPT /// The high-profile case has thrust the Philippines in the spotlight just as its coping with an international hostage crisis involving Islamic militants who are holding mainly foreign hostages on a remote island. (SIGNED) NEB/HK/AB/JO/KL 10-May-2000 08:41 AM EDT (10-May-2000 1241 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .