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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Marcoleta frowns over fellow senators' rush to blame video game for Tacloban school shooting

Marcoleta frowns over fellow senators' rush to blame video game for Tacloban school shooting

Published Jun 27, 2026 05:25 pm

At A Glance

  • Sen. Rodante Marcoleta warned against prematurely blaming video games for the Tacloban City school shooting.
  • Marcoleta said GoreBox already carries an 18+ age restriction and is developed in Germany for a global audience, arguing that attention should instead be given to whether Philippine regulators had sufficient safeguards to prevent minors from accessing such content.
  • The senator called on agencies like the DICT and the CICC to review existing regulations on age-restricted online content, stressing that Senate members should carefully study the facts before assigning responsibility.
Senator Rodante Marcoleta warned against prematurely blaming video games for the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City.
A mobile device displays the interface of the video game GoreBox on June 25, 2026. The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) imposed a temporary ban on the physics-driven sandbox game after police investigators found that a 14-year-old Grade 9 student involved in a fatal school shooting in Tacloban City was a frequent player prior to the incident. (John Louie Abrina)
A mobile device displays the interface of the video game GoreBox on June 25, 2026. The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) imposed a temporary ban on the physics-driven sandbox game after police investigators found that a 14-year-old Grade 9 student involved in a fatal school shooting in Tacloban City was a frequent player prior to the incident. (John Louie Abrina)
Speaking on his program Sa Ganang Mamamayan, Marcoleta said some of his colleagues in the Senate were too quick to attribute the June 22 shooting to video games, particularly the game GoreBox, without first examining all the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“May mga ibang mga kasamahan ako sa Senado, mabilis silang magpasya, mabilis silang humatol na ang kanilang sinisisi, ay yun daw mga video games (Some of my colleagues in the Senate are quick to decide, quick to judge, and the ones they blame are, supposedly, video games),” Marcoleta said.
He warned that assigning blame without sufficient evidence could unfairly harm people or industries that may not actually be responsible.
“Ako, para sa akin, bago ka gumawa ng ganoong klaseng paglalatag o pagbibigay ng hatol, ay pakaisipin mong mabuti (For me, before you make that kind of statement or pass such judgment, you should think it through carefully)," Marcoleta said.
The neophyte senator has argued that exposure to action-oriented entertainment does not automatically lead to violent behavior.
Recalling his youth, he said he grew up watching action films starring Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ). Instead of being hooked on the portayal of violence onscreen, he was inspired by the movies' themes of justice, patriotism, and protecting communities.
“Action nga ang gusto ko. Pero tingnan mo. Ako bilang isang naging bata din, aksyon ang gusto ko. Pero hindi ako namamaril ng ganun-ganun lang (Action is what I want. But look—me, as someone who was once a child too, I wanted action. Yet I didn’t go around shooting just like that),” he said.
The senator also questioned criticisms directed at foreign game developers, saying GoreBox is a globally available game developed in Germany and distributed through platforms such as Google Play and Steam rather than operating exclusively in the Philippines.
He noted that the game already carries an 18-and-above age restriction.
Instead of faulting the game's developer, Marcoleta said authorities should examine whether Philippine regulators had adequate safeguards in place to prevent minors from accessing age-restricted content.
He specifically pointed to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), saying these agencies should determine whether potentially harmful online content should have been regulated before it became accessible to children.
He also cited public comments criticizing those who immediately blamed the game, saying many believed they were "barking up the wrong tree".
“Mabigat yung paratang na yun. Kailangan, lalo na kung ikaw ay member ng Senado, eh huwag kang mabilis magpasya. Aralin mo. Para sa ganun ay walang mapahamak (That accusation is heavy. Especially if you are a member of the Senate, you should not be quick to decide. Study it carefully, so that no one will be harmed),” Marcoleta said.
While he did not mention any name, Senator Risa Hontiveros recently stated that the Germany-based developer of Gorebox, the video game linked by authorities to the Tacloban school shooting investigation, has declined to attend the July 1 hearing of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality.
Hontiveros, chairperson of the committee, said she will seek the assistance of the German Embassy in the Philippines to facilitate the participation of developer Felix Filip in the Senate inquiry.

Related Tags

Rodante Marcoleta GoreBox Risa Hontiveros Tacloban school shooting
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