Leading telecommunications providers PLDT, Smart Communications, and Globe Telecom are moving to block more than 100 websites hosting or streaming footage of school shootings and acts of extreme violence following a tragic shooting incident in Zamboanga City.
PLDT confirmed that the access ban covers its network as well as its wireless subsidiary, Smart Communications, cutting off subscriber access to the identified platforms.
“This is something we do not tolerate,” said PLDT Chief Operating Officer Butch Jimenez. “We have decided to ban these kinds of sites preemptively, as soon as they are discovered. Our networks will not be used as a channel for content that glorifies violence and puts our communities, especially our children, at risk.”
Jimenez added that PLDT will continuously monitor and coordinate with government agencies, child protection groups, and parenting communities to identify and restrict similar URLs.
“There is no debate to be had here. Content that turns real-world violence into entertainment has no place on our networks and in our society,” Jimenez emphasized.
Echoing the necessity for swift industry action, Globe General Counsel Froilan Castelo highlighted the responsibility of network operators to protect younger users online.
“We have a responsibility to help make the online environment safer, especially for children and young people,” Castelo said.
The crackdown follows the August 18 incident at Ateneo de Zamboanga University, where a 14-year-old student shot and killed a schoolmate before taking his own life, leaving two others injured. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla noted that the tragic event was livestreamed on Facebook and broadcast across another website.
The tragedy marks the country’s second school shooting in recent months, following a June attack in Tacloban City where three students were killed and at least 20 others were injured.
In response, government authorities are investigating factors contributing to youth violence, including the potential influence of online platforms and video games. Remulla noted that platforms like Roblox may have influenced the Zamboanga suspect, though the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has not yet reached a formal conclusion.
Meanwhile, the Department of Education announced a nationwide school safety drill set for August 25 at 9:00 a.m. to prepare teachers, students, and personnel to respond effectively during an “active attack” scenario.