CICC bans gaming app GoreBox after Tacloban school shooting

MANILA, Philippines — The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) on Tuesday imposed a temporary ban on the gaming app GoreBox following the Tacloban City school shooting that killed three students and injured 20 others.

The decision came after initial police findings indicated that one of the Grade 9 students allegedly involved in the incident at San Jose National High School was a frequent player of the online game, which features weapon simulation and graphic violence.

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

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Police Regional Office 8 Director Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy earlier confirmed the student’s regular use of the app.

“We are blocking GoreBox temporarily as a precautionary measure pending the investigation. Within the day, expect the app to be blocked,” CICC Undersecretary Aboy Paraiso said in a statement.

Paraiso said authorities could not rule out the possibility that online influences played a role in the incident.

“Temporarily blocking the game will allow authorities to conduct a thorough assessment and whether the platform played any role in the actions of the suspects,” he said.

Working with the Council for the Welfare of Children, the CICC’s Threat Monitoring Center has also stepped up monitoring of online platforms, including GoreBox and similar applications.

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GoreBox, launched in 2023, is a violent, physics-driven sandbox game built around player-created chaos. Instead of following a fixed story or mission structure, it gives players tools, weapons, props, vehicles, and characters to spawn, manipulate, and destroy in open-ended environments.

“Our priority is the safety and well-being of Filipino children exposed to the internet,” Paraiso said.

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“Beyond this temporary ban, we are reinforcing our monitoring efforts to identify online spaces that may pose risks to young users and to ensure that appropriate interventions are made immediately,” he added.

Following the incident, the CICC urged the public to report cyberbullying and other online threats through Hotline 1326 or its website. /apl /dm

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