MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is open to proposals banning violent online games in the country, following a school shooting in Tacloban City that killed three students and left 20 others wounded.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro issued the statement after police investigators found that one of the teens behind Monday's attack at the San Jose National High School was a regular player of the sandbox video game GoreBox, which features firearms and graphic depictions of violence.
"It was reported that these children are addicted to playing violent online games. It was discussed that those kinds of apps should be banned in the Philippines. So that's a good suggestion," Castro said during a press conference.
"We hope that a measure will be crafted soon and the President is open to such proposals," she added.
The Palace official said the administration was open to legislative measures that would regulate access to violent online content, particularly among minors.
Castro also said that lawmakers may move quickly to study possible restrictions in light of the incident.
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center's (CICC) Threat Monitoring Center, in close coordination with the Council for the Welfare of Children, has intensified its monitoring of online activities, including GoreBox and similar platforms.
