Manhunt on for person who incited South Cotabato teenage school shooter

MANILA – Authorities are pursuing a person suspected of influencing the minor involved in the deadly school shooting in Banga, South Cotabato, through online conversations, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla said.

In a statement on Wednesday, Remulla said the person is in the Philippines, and authorities have identified his location.

The DILG chief said the person preyed on the student’s insecurities and encouraged violence by promising that such an act would bring recognition.

“They prey upon their insecurities, telling them that they will be glorified if they do something like this. It’s a very insidious way of inciting that kind of hate,” he said.

Remulla earlier said investigators had linked the junior high school student’s actions to exposure to the deep dark web.

“They now glorify violence through the deep dark web. It’s very alarming,” he said.

Following school shootings in Tacloban, Zamboanga, and Cotabato, Remulla said authorities are taking online threats related to school shootings seriously. He cited four students previously caught with alarming Facebook posts.

He said the government is pursuing a broader response to school violence, including measures to limit minors’ access to social media and websites, similar to the approach taken in Australia.

Remulla also urged parents to guide their children and watch for signs that they may be drawn into violence online.

“We’re asking the parents to watch their children kaysa (which is better than) we discover it too late,” he said. (PNA)