PNP eyes Australia-style social media ban to curb school violence

MANILA – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the Philippines will consider replicating or improving Australia's social media ban for minors to counter online radicalization and prevent future school shootings.

Nartatez bared this following Saturday's conclusion of the three-day 44th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Chiefs of Police (ASEANAPOL) conference in Pasay City, marking the first time the body addressed school shootings alongside other crimes targeting children, such as online exploitation and trafficking.

“Upon coordination, upon talks, meetings with our neighboring countries as well as our dialogue partners, mayroon silang ibang batas and we'll try to consider [it] (They have a different law, and we'll try to consider [it]),” Nartatez said in a press briefing.

“If other nations are looking after the law in Australia, pwede naman natin gayahin din (we can also copy it) or will improve.”

Australia, an official dialogue partner of ASEANAPOL, enacted a law last year banning social media for users aged 16 and under.

PNP director for investigation and detective management Brig. Gen. Matthew Baccay said the police force is eyeing a recommendation for Congress to restrict minors from social media, a proposal that stems from discussions at the ASEANAPOL Conference regarding Australia's enacted ban on underage users.

“It was agreed that perhaps we can borrow certain legislation to prevent the issue of social media and other platforms that are accessible to our children,” Baccay said in the same briefing.

Nartatez also ordered all PNP units to implement relevant ASEANAPOL resolutions, particularly on intelligence sharing, cybercrime investigations and anti-scam operations, in light of the deadly Tacloban City school shooting in June.

The Tacloban school shooting, which left three students dead and 20 others injured, was blamed by the PNP on the two minor suspects' extensive exposure to online violence via social media and the violent sandbox game GoreBox.

Hosted by the Philippines under the theme "United in Vision: Securing People and Strengthening Collaboration," the conference brought together police chiefs and heads of delegation from ASEANAPOL member countries, 12 dialogue partners, and 11 observer organizations.

Delegates approved measures to strengthen cooperation against cybercrime, online scams, illegal drugs, terrorism, trafficking in persons, firearms smuggling, and financial, wildlife and maritime crimes.

They also endorsed the continued modernization of the Electronic ASEANAPOL Database System (e-ADS), expanded forensic cooperation, police training, personnel exchanges, and the ASEAN Police Combat Operational Task Force 2026-2028.

Timor-Leste as 11th member

Meanwhile, the PNP welcomed the endorsement of Timor-Leste as the 11th member of ASEANAPOL, saying the move will strengthen regional cooperation against transnational crime.

“With another trusted partner in ASEANAPOL, we can better address cross-border crimes and threats including trafficking, smuggling, cyber-enabled crimes through a more coordinated and unified response,” Nartatez said.

The endorsement, one of the major outcomes of the 44th ASEANAPOL Conference, now awaits formal adoption through the Joint Communique before it takes effect. (PNA)