By Brian Campued
Police are investigating the possibility that the fatal school shooting in Tacloban City on June 22 was due to the influence of a violent video game as well as other online content consumed by the two minor suspects.
According to Police Regional 8 (PRO-8) Regional Director PBGen. Jason Capoy, the 14-year-old suspect, had been playing “GoreBox,” a sandbox-style game first launched in 2023 which allows players to experiment with various weapons and is known for its graphic depictions of violence.
“May laro, may shooting, shooting din, mga ganung firearms. Bayolente po, medyo bayolente po yung laro,” Capoy said.
PNP Spokesperson PCol. Allen Rae Co likewise said that investigators are looking into the suspects’ digital footprints, including their social media posts and online communities they joined that may have enticed them to commit the crime.
“We can only say na doon po sa initial investigation natin, lalo na po itong si CICL Alias Nash ay heavily influenced po ng online content. Mayroon po kaming nakita na ano niya, aside from his own posts na mga violent videos, mayroon pa pong tinitingnan tayo na iba pa pong grupo or mga kinakasalihan niya kung saan puwedeng nag-udyok sa kaniya para gawin po ito,” Co said in a Malacañang press briefing on Tuesday.
“Suffice it to say, early indications po nagsasabi na heavily influenced nga po yung actions nila by online content,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has temporarily banned Gorebox while authorities are investigating if there is a direct link between the game and the shooting.
“We are blocking Gorebox temporarily as a precautionary measure pending the investigation,” Paraiso said in a press release.
“We cannot ignore possible online influences that may have contributed to this tragic incident. Temporarily blocking the game will allow authorities to conduct a thorough assessment and [determine] whether the platform played any role in the actions of the suspects,” he added.
In close collaboration with the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), the CICC’s Threat Monitoring Center (TMC) has also intensified its surveillance of online activities, including those involving GoreBox and similar platforms.
“Among other applications, we will be conducting strict monitoring to gain greater visibility into online activities involving GoreBox,” Paraiso stressed.
“Our priority is the safety and well-being of Filipino children exposed to the internet. Beyond this temporary ban, we are reinforcing our monitoring efforts to identify online spaces that may pose risks to young users and to ensure that appropriate interventions are made immediately,” he added.
Earlier, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is open to proposals restricting or banning violent online games amid concerns over their possible influence on behaviors of minors.
The Department of Health (DOH) also reminded parents to closely monitor children’s online activities to protect them from harmful content by setting their devices to kids/restricted mode, activating privacy settings in all applications, using parental controls to block unsafe media, and limiting screen time. (with report from Ryan Lesigues / PTV News)
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