Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV has rejected proposals for a blanket ban on video games following the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City, saying the measure would not address the root causes of youth violence.
Aquino, chairperson of the Senate Committees on Basic Education and Science and Technology, made the statement on Monday after Malacañang said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is open to restricting or banning violent online games. The statement followed a police investigation that found one of the minors involved in the Tacloban shooting had frequently played GoreBox, a physics-based sandbox game described in reports as graphically violent.
“Magpi-50 years na rin iyong mga video games, pero it’s always a convenient scapegoat sa tuwing may nangyayaring insidente ng karahasan,” Aquino said. (“Video games have been around for almost 50 years, but they are always a convenient scapegoat whenever a violent incident occurs.”)
The senator cited multiple studies showing no correlation between video games and school shootings.
Two minors, aged 14 and 15, opened fire inside San Jose National High School in Tacloban City on June 22, killing three people and injuring 20 others. Following the attack, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) suspended access to GoreBox while authorities continue their investigation. GoreBox developer Felix Filip declined an invitation to appear before the Senate panel investigating the shooting, saying in an email that the game is classified 18+ and is not intended for or directed at minors.
Rather than a blanket ban, Aquino called for stricter enforcement of age restrictions on mature-rated games, similar to existing classification rules for films and television programs. He said both physical and online game retailers should tighten enforcement of access rules involving minors.
“Dahil pang-bata iyan, iyong mga developers mayroong silang responsibility na ma-monitor, ma-check at ma-ban iyong mga predators o iyong mga tao doon na may masasamang balak,” Aquino said. (“Since these platforms involve children, developers have a responsibility to monitor, check, and ban predators or individuals with harmful intentions.”)
Aquino added that parents also play a role in monitoring the content their children access, particularly online.
Aquino is pushing for the passage of his proposed School Safety Act, which includes the installation of additional CCTV cameras in schools, the deployment of more barangay tanods and security personnel, and regular Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meetings to discuss school safety concerns and other preventive measures.
The Tacloban shooting followed separate stabbing incidents at schools in Cavite earlier in June, prompting at least one school in Batangas City to suspend classes after receiving threats of similar violence. Senator Risa Hontiveros has said her committee will investigate the Tacloban incident on July 1.
