Malacañang said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is open to proposals seeking to regulate, restrict, or ban access to violent online games and applications, particularly for minors, following the recent school shooting incident in Tacloban City.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the matter was discussed in the aftermath of reports linking one of the minors involved in the attack to a violent online game. The incident left three students dead and several others injured.
Castro said any potential restriction or ban would ultimately require legislation from Congress, but the President is receptive to measures aimed at limiting exposure of minors to violent digital content.
“Napag-usapan po na ‘yung mga ganoong klaseng app ay dapat na ma-ban sa Pilipinas. So maganda pong mungkahi iyan,” Castro said, adding that the administration supports efforts to explore stronger safeguards for children online.
She said the government is open to proposals that would regulate or restrict access to violent content, particularly if such exposure is seen as a possible influence on youth behavior.
Reports indicated that one of the suspects in the Tacloban shooting had been a regular player of a sandbox-style online game featuring graphic violence, where users can simulate destruction using weapons and explosives.
In response, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) ordered the temporary blocking of the game while an assessment is underway.
The Palace said it is now up to lawmakers to craft appropriate legislation, emphasizing that any action must balance digital freedom with the need to protect minors from harmful content.