Senator Aquino rejects calls to ban violent video games after Tacloban school shooting

Senator Bam Aquino has opposed proposals to restrict or ban violent video games following the recent school shooting in Tacloban City. Aquino argued that such games have been unfairly blamed whenever acts of violence occur.

His remarks came after Malacañang said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is open to proposals limiting or banning violent online games amid concerns over their possible influence on minors.

Aquino, who chairs the Senate Committees on Basic Education and Science and Technology, said available research does not support claims that video games lead to school shootings.

“Mas maraming studies na ginawa na nagsasabing walang correlation between video games and school shooting,” Aquino said.

“Magpi-50 years na rin iyong mga video games, pero it's always a convenient scapegoat sa tuwing may nangyayaring insidente ng karahasan,” he added.

Instead of imposing a blanket ban, Aquino proposed stricter implementation of age restrictions for mature-rated games, similar to regulations governing movies and television content.

“Maraming games na hindi pang-bata. Maybe what we can clarify is kung meron man mas maging strikto, dapat mas istrikto iyong access ng mga bata sa mga mature video games,” Aquino said.

“Dapat sa mga video game stores and online stores, medyo mas strikto rin yung ating rules pagdating sa mga bata at iyong pag-access nila sa mga mature video games. Pero banning video games in general or as a whole, I don't think that's a good solution to our problems,” he added.

Aquino also emphasized the role of parents in supervising the games their children play and ensuring they only access content appropriate for their age.

He likewise said game developers should strengthen safeguards on online gaming platforms, particularly those designed for children, to protect young users from online predators, extremist groups, and other individuals with harmful intentions.

“Dahil pang-bata iyan, iyong developers mayroong silang responsibility na ma-monitor, ma-check at ma-ban iyong mga predators o iyong mga tao doon na may masasamang balak,” he said.

Meanwhile, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday reiterated his push to prohibit children aged 16 and below from accessing social media, stating that tighter protections against harmful online content should rank among Congress' highest priorities in the wake of the fatal June 22 school shooting in Tacloban City and other incidents of violence involving students.

Gatchalian said his proposed Social Media Safety for Children Act (Senate Bill No. 2066) seeks to address one of the factors influencing violent behavior among minors.

“That, for me, is the priority. It’s one of the priority bills that I submitted,” he said.

“The biggest question here is what influences children these days to commit violence? Children are not violent in nature. There are influences that happen that affect the way they think.”