MANILA, Philippines — Following the shooting incident inside a school in Tacloban City on Monday, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri expressed support for a “serious discussion” on banning or strictly limiting social media access for children.
The Senate majority leader on Tuesday also pressed for a review of the juvenile justice law to lower the age threshold for heinous crimes.
"This tragedy should push us to confront a hard truth: Matindi na ang influence ng social media sa mga bata (social media has a strong influence on children)," Zubiri said in a statement.
"Whether a child is bullied or not, violent content, online threats, dangerous trends and hateful behavior can plant ideas in young minds and give them the confidence to act on things they should never even consider," he said.
He said there is a pending bill in the Senate, the proposed Social Media Safety for Children Act, which seeks to prohibit children below 16 from registering, accessing or maintaining social media accounts.
"A school, being our children’s second home, should be one of the safest places for our students," he said.
Zubiri also noted that Australia has already banned social media for children under 16, while the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries "have moved or are moving toward stricter age limits, age verification and tighter protections for minors online."
"We should also explore the possibility of amending the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act and study whether minors as young as 14 who commit heinous crimes such as murder, rape and similar grave offenses should be tried as adults, with due process, discernment and rehabilitation still properly considered," he said.
"Hinihiling ko sa lahat ng (I appeal to all) concerned government agencies: Act with urgency, strengthen school security, protect our children online and make sure no other family will have to suffer this kind of heartbreak again," Zubiri added.
