Senator Bam Aquino urges stricter age limits for violent games

After the tragic school shooting in Zamboanga City that claimed the lives of two students, Senator Bam Aquino has renewed his call for comprehensive school safety measures while firmly rejecting proposals to outright ban video games for minors.

Aquino, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, emphasized that current evidence fails to establish video games as a direct trigger for real-world violence. Rather than imposing blanket bans, he advocated for the strict enforcement of age classification systems similar to those used in film and television broadcasting.

“There's an age restriction on movies and television shows. We need to look at stronger age restrictions pagdating sa [when it comes to] violent games,” Aquino stated.

To enforce compliance, the senator suggested introducing penalties for game developers, platforms, and guardians whenever minors gain unauthorized access to mature-rated content.

“Kung may mga bata na may access tapos iyong game is rated mature, mali iyon. Dapat may penalties iyon. Either doon sa developer, doon sa bata mismo, o maging sa parents,” [If children have access to a game rated mature, that is wrong. There should be penalties—either for the developer, the minor, or the parents,] he explained.

Maintaining that gaming should not be scapegoated for school violence, Aquino cited ongoing research that challenges any direct causal link. Instead, he raised red flags regarding unmonitored online chat groups, where young people are frequently exposed to harmful, radicalizing, or predatory material.

“It’s the chat groups. It’s the lack of controls pagdating sa infiltration of chat groups,” Aquino stressed, arguing that legislative efforts targeting minors' social media access must also extend to private chat networks and forums. "If we want to be successful dito sa ating gustong gawin, kailangan umabot doon iyong mga reporma." [If we want to succeed in what we are trying to achieve, reforms must reach those areas.]

Legislative Framework for Youth Digital Safety and School Security

Aquino’s policy agenda relies on two key legislative measures currently before the Senate:

Senate Bill No. 2299 (Digital Safety for Minors Act): Prohibits children under 15 years old from creating or accessing social media accounts to curb excessive screen time and safeguard minors from online threats.

Senate Bill No. 2390 (Comprehensive School Safety Act): Seeks to fortify physical security across educational institutions to prevent violence similar to recent incidents in Zamboanga City and Tacloban City.

Under SB 2390, schools would be required to install mandatory security infrastructure, including closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems, trained security personnel, metal detectors, and systematic bag inspection protocols. Additionally, the bill mandates the establishment of a localized National School Safety Framework to standardize clear emergency response procedures before, during, and after violent events.

Addressing potential budget constraints, Aquino—who also serves as vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance—insisted that funding should not delay implementation.

"It's a matter of political will. Kung nais natin mapondohan ito, mapopondohan natin ito,” [If we truly want to fund this, we can fund this,] Aquino affirmed.

-Paraluman News