Senators on Wednesday, July 1 pushed for more interventions on online gaming platforms in light of the horrific Tacloban school shooting incident where three students died and several others were injured. 

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said there should be stronger interventions to protect Filipino children from the emerging “Violent Online Ecosystem,” warning that exposure to harmful online gaming platforms can adversely affect the behavior and mental health of the youth.

The “Violent Online Ecosystem” refers to an interconnected network of digital platforms and virtual spaces where users foster and coordinate acts of violence.

While technology has brought many benefits, including helping students learn and build friendships, Gatchalian said its negative effects should not be ignored.

He also warned that cyberbullying, when combined with exposure to violent games and other harmful online content, could foster troubling mindsets among the youth.

“In my research, I came across the concept of the Violent Online Ecosystem. This means that we should not look at online games in isolation, but rather at the entire range of online influences that can affect a child,” said Gatchalian in mixed English and Filipino during the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality’s hearing.

“For example, bullying is already a serious problem in our country. We have even been referred to as the bullying capital of the world. When bullying is combined with exposure to violent video games, it can create deeply troubling patterns of thinking and behavior in a child,” he stressed.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate women and children’s panel, said the threat of Nihilistic Violent Extremism (NVE) is real and is already in the Philippines and many young people are affected.

Hontiveros urged authorities to double the time in investigating into these violent online platforms to prevent another school shooting incident from happening.

“Sadly, if we don’t turn things around, we might expect more in the days, months, and years to come. Let’s prevent that from happening,” she said.

“Mass casualty events involving children, perpetrated by children, can only be described as horrific. And we must be willing to address all roots of this issue if we are we are to have a fighting chance against this phenomenon. If our young people, our children, are to have a fighting chance,” she further said.

“The problem on NVE can be resolved not just by a strict law enforcement or new law, but also by human connection,” Hontiveros pointed out.

For his part, Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go warned against a blanket ban on online gaming but stressed the need for the government to promote responsible gaming and parental guidance to keep competitive e-sports spaces safe from extremist groups.

At the same time, Go pushed for stronger mental health programs and school safety measures aimed at preventing another school shooting incident.

The senator emphasized that the Filipino youth mental crisis now requires urgent government intervention.

“The situation is different today because of online platforms. It is different from  10 years ago, different from 20 years ago. Times are different now. If there is a need to fix our current laws and regulations, let us fix them now,” he stressed.