A deadly school shooting in the central Philippines has prompted warnings from lawmakers and cybersecurity experts that violent online extremist networks may be approaching Filipino children through gaming platforms and chat groups.
At a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros said there were signs that the perpetrators behind a deadly school shooting in Tacloban City might have been influenced by 764, a nihilistic violent extremist network accused of targeting vulnerable children online.
“These are not yet final conclusions. These are leads,” Hontiveros said, adding that the information had been sent to the National Bureau of Investigation for verification.
“They need to be caught before they lure their next victim,” she added at the hearing.
The attack at the public school on June 22 killed three students and injured 20 others, prompting the hearing into online platforms and gaming spaces as possible avenues for the radicalisation of Filipino children.
Two Grade 9 students, aged 14 and 15, were arrested over the shooting at the San Jose National High School.