Senate panel to probe into Tacloban school shooting on July 1

MANILA, Philippines – The fatal school shooting in Tacloban City will be investigated by the Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality on July 1.

Panel chairperson Sen. Risa Hontiveros made the announcement on Tuesday, a day after two minors opened fire inside San Jose National High School, leaving three students dead and at least 20 others wounded.

“On July 1, we will reopen the hearing to determine whether online platforms play a role in the spread of violent ideas. It becomes a nest for groups that brainwash and radicalize children,” Hontiveros said in a statement.

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READ: School shooting kills 3 students in Tacloban

The Philippine National Police revealed that one of the suspects posted “violent videos on guns,” adding that one of the two even wore clothes worn by school shooters in foreign countries.

With this, the PNP surmised that some students may be imitating events in the United States where school shootings have long been an issue.

Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office Eastern Visayas said before the incident, one of the two students played “Gorebox,” a violent open-world shooting game.

Although authorities have not confirmed any direct link, Hontiveros warned that the youth may be developing violent ideas via online games and platforms.

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READ: Police: Tacloban school shooting suspect played ‘violent’ game

During the hearing, the senator hopes to determine whether digital platforms have enough safety measures in place to protect children from inappropriate content.

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“We will look again at whether all online platforms are doing enough to prevent young people from being exploited,” she said.

“If the internet is being used to victimize children, someone must be held accountable. We can’t just let Big Tech keep its eyes on the horizon while our families and schools are engulfed in tragedy,” added Hontiveros.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo, chairperson of the Senate panel on social justice, welfare, and rural development, also called for an investigation into the school shooting.

“We call on our colleagues in the Senate to immediately conduct an investigation to see if there are any shortcomings in the school, where the problem was, and how to prevent such incidents in our schools,” Tulfo said in his own statement.

The senator also noted that the implementation of the Anti-Bullying Act must be strengthened, following reports that one of the suspects opened fire after being bullied.

“If in the past, bullying resulted in hurtful words or physical harm, and even taking one’s own life, now it has led to the murder of some children inside the school they consider their second home,” Tulfo stressed.

He continued: “How many more lives must be lost before we wake up to the reality that the implementation of anti-bullying laws in the country is lax?”

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian also noted the role of parents and the community in the protection of children.

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“If we are serious about ending violence in our schools, the solution must start within our homes,” Gatchalian said in his statement. /gsg /das