‘Adult Groomer,’ Terror Network Eyed In Tacloban Shooting

A suspected “adult groomer” may have recruited two minor suspects in the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City, with the incident possibly linked to the so-called 764, an online extremist group allegedly coercing children into violence and pornography, Sen. Risa Hontiveros revealed on Wednesday, July 1.

During a hearing of the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality, Hontiveros said independent investigators traced a Facebook account using the pseudonym “Sedykh Ryazanov,” believed to belong to the alleged adult groomer, which had interactions with social media accounts linked to one of the Tacloban suspects, “Nash.”

Following the June 22 shooting, the account allegedly instructed the minor suspect to delete digital traces.

“Na-edit na kita boy sa Tiktok. Make sure na na-delete mo ang Discord, Reddit, Telegram para walang evidence mahanap,” the comment read, as shown by a screenshot presented during the hearing.

Hontiveros said the suspect’s account had only one friend – another profile believed to be a dummy account named “Date Larping.” Through this account, she said, members of the same network were able to circulate posts that appeared to support the attack.

She added that these profiles were active on Meta platforms but have since been deactivated, stressing that “there are real people behind these profiles.”

The senator also noted that other accounts believed to belong to minors showed online activity expressing interest in school shootings, raising concerns about possible wider recruitment.

Hontiveros, however, stressed that these are only leads and are subject to validation by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which is now looking into the case to determine whether a broader recruitment network is operating.

‘764’ extremist network

The senator also pointed to indications that the Tacloban shooting may have been influenced by “764,” described as part of a nihilistic violent extremism (NVE) network.

The group targets vulnerable minors online, offering a sense of belonging before coercing them into increasingly violent and harmful acts. It originated in Texas and was founded by a teenager who was helped by someone he met through the online game Minecraft.

According to Hontiveros, 764 has been designated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a “national security threat” and by the Canadian government as a terrorist group.

Leaders of the network reportedly coerce victims into producing graphic sexual content, harming family pets, self-harming and even committing suicide.

Hontiveros said there were also indications that NVE networks such as 764 were recruiting members through online games popular among young people, including Roblox, Minecraft and GoreBox.

Inside these online communities, she said members allegedly circulate materials involving sextortion, instructions on making weapons or explosives and other dangerous activities.

“What is difficult here is that if a child does not feel respect, acceptance or a sense of belonging in real life, those gaps are filled by harmful online communities – at a heavy cost: obedience, harm to others and sometimes even violence,” Hontiveros said.

A total of 24 minors have so far been rescued by the police from being influenced by the online extremist network 764, according to the Philippine National Police.

Col. Richmond Tadina of the PNP’s Anti-Cybercrime Group said the 24 minors who have been rescued are all part of the “True Crime Community,” where they share and post about violent extremism.

Authorities have identified “No Lives Matter” and “764 Network” as subcultures in that community, where coercion, self-harm, exploitation of minors and violence are common topics and interests.

Of those rescued, five reportedly inflicted harm on themselves after exposure to graphic content, including materials linked to the game GoreBox.

First ‘completed’ attack

Cybersecurity expert Angel Redoble, chair of the Philippine Institute of Cybersecurity Professionals, said the Tacloban incident could represent the first “completed” mass shooting linked to the 764 network, if its involvement is confirmed.

Redoble warned that local recruiters of NVE may already be operating in Philippine cyberspace.

“Before we saw patterns, but today I think we can say that we already have these players, and I don’t think that guy is alone. I think there’s more,” he said during the hearing.

Echoing Hontiveros and the PNP’s findings, Redoble also described a recruitment pattern where predators target vulnerable minors, build trust, isolate them and gradually push them toward self-harm or violence.

He also identified online games, mental health support chats and certain social media subcultures as possible “hunting grounds” for groomers.

“It’s not the online game itself but the perpetrators or predators in the game that’s really changing our children,” he said.

Interventions

Amid the investigation, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian called for stronger safeguards against what he described as a growing “violent online ecosystem,” warning that exposure to harmful digital content may affect youth mental health and behavior.

He urged authorities to consider the broader online environment, including cyberbullying and violent content, rather than focusing solely on gaming platforms.

Sen. Bong Go, meanwhile, cautioned against a blanket ban on online gaming, stressing the need for responsible gaming practices, parental guidance, stronger mental health programs and improved school safety measures to prevent another school shooting incident.

Child psychologist Liane Alampay said online platforms are only one factor in youth violence, alongside family environment, school conditions and community relationships.

“Young people, because they are impressionable and still do not have full capacity for impulse control, for regulating their emotions or even the ability to fully consider long-term consequences, become more susceptible and vulnerable to these influences,” she said during the hearing.

“It is not a one-time, one-cause issue. There is a backdrop, history, developmental issues and context before it reaches the point where they commit violent action,” Alampay added.

The psychologist also supported targeted regulation such as age restrictions but stressed that parental engagement is crucial.

“We have to observe our children, engage with them, know, be familiar with what they’re doing online versus blanket limiting it. We can ban at some level or regulate games but this is a part of everyone’s lives; we have to do a better job to engage with the children in what they do online. It’s the best way for us to know what’s going on and how to protect them,” she said.