PH gov't explores tapping gaming community in fight vs. online extremism

MANILA – Members of the gaming community are emerging as potential sources of intelligence against online groups that expose or groom young people toward violent extremism, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) said Thursday.

During a Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality hearing, CICC Executive Director Undersecretary Renato “Aboy” Paraiso said individuals from gaming communities have approached authorities after encountering activities linked to nihilistic violent extremism (NVE) in online spaces.

“Marami pong nagka-come forward from various, for example, the gaming community which also are involved, parang meron siyang visibility kasi part sila ng mga NVEs na ’to, whether out of curiosity tapos nagsusumbong (Many are coming forward from various groups, for example, the gaming community, because they have visibility into these NVE spaces, whether they entered out of curiosity and later reported what they saw),” Paraiso told the panel.

He said the CICC refers such individuals and information to law enforcement agencies, noting that people already inside or familiar with these online communities may provide authorities with leads that would otherwise take investigators time to develop.

Paraiso said penetrating closed NVE groups can be difficult for government investigators, particularly when the groups may already be discussing possible targets in the Philippines.

“Bago kami, medyo magtatagal lang bago namin ma-penetrate ng mga NVE groups na ito if they have already have proposed targets here in the Philippines (For us, it may take some time before we can penetrate these NVE groups if they already have proposed targets here in the Philippines),” he said.

He suggested that intelligence funds could be used to support successful reporting or reward persons who provide valuable information that could help prevent violent acts.

“Siguro ito yung magandang paggamit ho ng (Perhaps this is a good use of) intelligence funds when it comes to successful reporting or rewards when it comes to these persons,” Paraiso said.

He stressed, however, that the CICC is not a law enforcement agency and must still rely on the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation and other partners to act on information it receives.

The discussion came as the Senate examines possible links between online communities and recent school violence in Tacloban and Zamboanga City, although authorities have yet to establish whether NVE played a role in the Zamboanga incident.

PNP: Vigilance, community role essential

The Philippine National Police (PNP), meanwhile, said keeping students safe requires vigilance and stronger community involvement beyond physical security measures.

“We agree that school safety is not only about guards, cameras, and other security measures. Police can support schools by strengthening coordination and helping identify threats or warning signs before they develop into violence,” PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement, adding that this is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen coordination among schools, parents, and government agencies in protecting the youth.

He underscored that the organization supports the call of Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara for school communities to regularly check on students and build stronger relationships with them.

Nartatez said parents and other members of the community have an important role in keeping children safe.

He urged them to maintain open communication with young people and immediately alert authorities about threats or suspicious behavior.

“School safety is a shared responsibility. We encourage parents, teachers, students, and the community to stay vigilant, build stronger communication with our children, and immediately report threats or warning signs so that authorities can act before they lead to violence,” Nartatez added. -with report from Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/Philippine News Agency