Crime & justice

Philippines Blocks Video Game After Tacloban School Shooting

Was the shooting fueled by desensitization to violence or was it rooted in bullying, trauma and unchecked gun access?

JUN 25·Updated JUN 26

Philippines Blocks Video Game After Tacloban School Shooting

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Above: Students and their parents wait for permission from school authorities to enter the school compound at the gate of San Jose High School in Tacloban City, Leyte province in the Philippines on June 23. Image credit: Noel Sianosa/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

The Tacloban school shooting isn't just about bullying — online extremist networks are actively grooming Filipino minors toward violence, and violent video games are a tool used to desensitize the youth. GoreBox has also been linked to violence and extremism in specific cases in Singapore and Russia. The damage these games can cause cannot be discounted.

Pubmed RAPPLER Global Network on Extremism &Technology

Government-critical narrative

The Tacloban shooting traces back to bullying, a troubled home life and access to real firearms. One suspect had already come to the attention of the school guidance office after being assaulted, and the guns used belonged to a relative in law enforcement. Banning a video game sidesteps the actual red flags that were missed that made this tragedy possible.

ABS Times of Suriname

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