Gatchalian Pushes Social Media Ban For Minors

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian pushed for his proposed social media ban for minors, expressing concern over the effects of violent online content that may have influenced the two minors behind the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City.

Speaking to dzBB on Wednesday, June 24, Gatchalian renewed his call for the passage of the proposed Social Media Safety for Children Act, which seeks to prohibit social media use for children below 16 years old.

He said excessive social media use has made children more vulnerable to online sexual abuse and exploitation and more prone to violent behavior, and has adversely affected their mental health.

“Many countries are doing this, the latest being the United Kingdom. The influence of social media on children has become extremely strong. Many young people become addicted to social media and violent games, and many studies have shown that these can influence their thinking,” Gatchalian said.

“That is why mental health cases among our youth are now very high. Many are taking their own lives, while others engage in violent acts. This is one of the measures that I am personally pushing so our youth will not be negatively influenced,” he added.

Gatchalian expressed alarm over reports that the 14-year-old suspect had played the online shooting game Gorebox before going on a shooting rampage at San Jose National High School, where three students were killed and 20 others wounded.

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center has since banned the game as a precautionary measure to prevent it from spurring another deadly school shooting.

“I researched Gorebox earlier. It is like a social media platform where children can play with other children, but it is extremely violent. It teaches children to drink, smoke and even use drugs. They can also kill within the game,” Gatchalian said. “I think this is also one reason why violent games have such a heavy influence on our youth.”

The senator also stressed the need to address the root causes of violence by providing more guidance counselors and security guards in schools and strengthening parental involvement through Republic Act No. 11908 or the Parent Effectiveness Service Program Act.

“At the end of the day, it is about how a child is raised. It is in the hands of parents to raise their children properly and instill good values. We can only do so much. Children are the responsibility of their parents,” he said.

Stronger security

School security, meanwhile, was the focus of Sen. Raffy Tulfo’s response to the Tacloban tragedy as he renewed calls for stronger campus safety measures.

According to the senator, the incident points to lapses not only on the part of the school and parents, but also on the part of the Department of Education (DepEd).

“I have repeatedly urged the Department of Education to immediately address the growing incidents of violence in schools and strengthen campus security by deploying security guards equipped with metal detectors to ensure that students’ belongings are inspected before entering school premises. It is unfortunate that this recommendation appears to have gone without immediate action. It is clear that the DepEd fell short in ensuring the safety and protection of our students,” he said.

Tulfo said he first made the recommendation in August 2025 and later pushed for the mandatory installation of CCTV cameras in classrooms and other common areas to strengthen anti-bullying measures and help investigate school-related violence.

Following the shooting, Tulfo said Education Secretary Sonny Angara informed him that the school had no perimeter fence, allowing the two armed students to enter through the back of the campus despite the presence of security guards.

In light of these incidents, Tulfo again urged DepEd to ensure that public schools are equipped with adequate security guards and CCTV cameras, a measure he seeks under Senate Bill 411.

“With the increasing number of violent incidents in schools, many of which involve students themselves, it is high time that this measure be enacted into law,” he said.

Gatchalian, Lacson open to lower age of criminal liability

The tragedy has also renewed debate on whether the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act should be amended.

Aside from President Marcos, who expressed openness to lowering the age of criminal liability, Gatchalian and Sen. Panfilo Lacson said they are also open to discussing possible amendments to the law.

Citing the 1993 murder of two-year-old James Bulger in England by two 10-year-old boys, Lacson said on X: “Our Juvenile Justice Law may really need revisiting and further discussion. The Feb. 12, 1993 Liverpool, England case of two-year-old James Patrick Bulger who was abducted and murdered by two 10-year-old boys may convince us to reconsider age as an automatic exemption from criminal liability. Discernment to be proven beyond reasonable doubt by state prosecutors as per the latest SC ruling should be safeguard enough to serve justice to all concerned.”

Several sectors, however, opposed lowering the age of criminal responsibility, arguing that it would not address the root causes of youth violence.

For the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), responding to school violence requires moving beyond a purely punitive understanding of discipline toward a restorative approach.

“While accountability and consequences are necessary to protect the school community, punishment alone often addresses only the visible act while leaving unresolved the wounds, conflicts, trauma, exclusion and social conditions that may have contributed to the behavior,” CEAP said.

Military Ordinariate Bishop Oscar Jaime Florencio also opposed lowering the age of criminal liability and instead called for a whole-of-society approach.

“I am not much for lowering or for status quo. What I want is to make this a whole of stakeholders approach. Families, parishes, schools and other stakeholders and the government should put our hands together to address this issue. This issue boils down to the roots of our society. I hope and I pray that we will surmount difficulties and other challenges,” Florencio said.

At the House of Representatives, Gabriela party-list Rep. Sarah Elago warned against targeting children with punitive measures while ignoring the causes of violence.

“It is alarming to think that simply because young people are exposed to technology and information, they should already bear the full weight of the law. Such an argument avoids addressing poverty, the lack of social services and the culture of violence that exists in society,” Elago said.

Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua, meanwhile, said the current law already provides mechanisms to hold children accountable through rehabilitation programs or criminal proceedings when warranted.

“The law is not powerless. The challenge is enforcing it properly and holding all responsible parties accountable,” he said. “It cannot be that after every tragedy, the first thing we change is the age requirement. What we should fix are the reasons why some young people go astray and are drawn to violence.”

Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday visited the wakes of the three students killed in the shooting. – With Bella Cariaso, Daphne Galvez, Evelyn Macairan