Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian renewed his call for a social media ban for minors aged 16 and below, following the school shooting incident in Tacloban City. This came after an initial police investigation linked one of the Grade 9 students involved to GoreBox, a mobile game app that’s described as allowing players to experiment with various weapons and showing graphic violence.
Gatchalian said that one of the bills he filed in the Senate seeks to bar minors 16 years old and below from using social media. He argued that many young people are becoming addicted to social media and violent games, and that studies have shown these can affect mental health. He also added that the country’s youth mental health cases are already high.
Incident in Tacloban
On Monday, two minors aged 14 and 15 opened fire inside San Jose National High School in Barangay San Jose. The attack left three people dead and several others injured.
The Police Regional Office 8 said that a criminal complaint has been filed against the 15-year-old student involved in the incident. Both children in conflict with the law were turned over to the City Social Welfare and Development Office of Tacloban City.
Rehabilitation and Accountability
Gatchalian also called for stronger child rehabilitation facilities such as Bahay Pag-asa. He rejected claims that minors who commit crimes are automatically free from responsibility, highlighting that intervention remains important.
According to him, Bahay Pag-Asa is a place where child offenders receive guidance and rehabilitation. The goal is to help them become productive members of society through proper direction and support.
The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 also states that a child 15 years old or below at the time of the offense is exempt from criminal liability but must undergo an intervention program. A child above 15 but below 18 is also exempt unless he or she acted with discernment, in which case the child is subject to the appropriate proceedings.
Do you agree to ban minors from accessing social media? Let us know in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What did Gatchalian call for after the Tacloban shooting?
A: He renewed his push for a social media ban for minors aged 16 and below.
Q: What app was linked to one of the students?
A: The police linked one student to GoreBox, a mobile game with graphic violence.
Q: What happened at San Jose National High School?
A: Two minors aged 14 and 15 opened fire, killing three people and injuring others.
Q: What is Bahay Pag-asa?
A: It is a child rehabilitation facility where CICLs receive intervention and guidance.
Q: What does the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act say?
A: It exempts certain minors from criminal liability but requires intervention programs, depending on age and discernment.
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
