DILG Sec. Jonvic Remulla Sees Possible Link Between Violent Video Games and Zamboanga School Shooting
DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla said online chat groups may have played a role in the Ateneo de Zamboanga University shooting.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary said investigators are looking into the possible influence of violent content and online communities on the Grade 8 student linked to the shooting.
Remulla clarified that Roblox itself is not being blamed, but some chat groups on online platforms may expose young users to harmful content or encourage violent behavior.
The student’s gadgets are still undergoing forensic examination to determine what he accessed and who he may have communicated with before the incident. Authorities also learned that the student had allegedly livestreamed on a gore website before the shooting.
The device is being examined as part of the investigation, including how he handled a firearm during the livestream.
Remulla also raised concerns about how the student was able to bring two firearms into the school. Ateneo de Zamboanga University had 25 security guards assigned to the campus, with 15 working during the day and 10 at night. Existing security rules require bags to be checked at the school gates.
However, the student reportedly entered the campus inside his father’s vehicle and did not undergo the same bag inspection. He then went directly to the basement after getting out of the vehicle.
The student’s father reportedly owned the firearms and said a gun bag had been left inside the vehicle, where his son allegedly obtained the weapons. Remulla stressed that firearms should never be left unsecured and called for stronger accountability for gun owners.
He urged Congress to review laws on loose firearms and consider tougher penalties for irresponsible gun owners.
Meanwhile, PNP Chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. called for the immediate removal of shooting videos from social media. He warned that such videos can spread quickly online and may have harmful effects on young viewers.
The social media users expressed their reactions to the latest update:
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