Rowegie Abanto

Gamers play Mobile Legends. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178719963450620170708-mobile-legends-game-MD-2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Psychologists and experts have advised against blanket statements that pin online games for the school shootings, saying that student violence is a complex problem. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — A teachers&#x27; group on Thursday urged parents and guardians to monitor their children&#x27;s use of gadget and online games, which it said were being infiltrated by adult groomers to influence kids with violence.</p><p>The Philippines was rocked by two deadly school shooting incidents this year, with the latest <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/8/18/shooting-incident-reported-inside-zamboanga-city-school-0934">occuring this week</a>. </p><p>Both incidents were partly blamed on the alleged shooters&#x27; exposure to online games where they allegedly met members of extremist groups who emboldened them to carry out the attacks.</p><p>On Wednesday, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla warned that <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/19/remulla-links-roblox-to-radicalization-after-zamboanga-shooting-1506">gaming platforms&#x27; chat function could be used by bad actors to &quot;radicalize&quot; youngsters</a>, as he pushed for regulation of first-person shooter games.</p><p>Miriam Sebastian, founder of Private School Teachers Association in the Philippines, concurred with Remulla&#x27;s statement, citing a recent case with a Grade 5 student who had a &quot;problem.&quot; </p><p>&quot;Lumabas &#x27;yan sa aming interview sa bata... totoo po &#x27;yun na ang mga adult ang nagbibigay ng cue kung paano gagawin ng mga bata &#x27;yung mga action,&quot; she said.</p><p>(That was revealed in our interviews with the child. That&#x27;s true, adults give the cue to kids what they will do.)</p><p>&quot;Hindi namin sinisi &#x27;yung games, &#x27;yung app, ang aming pinapaliwanagan &#x27;yung mga magulang na dapat bantayan ang mga mag-aaral lalo na pag may hawak na gadget.&quot;</p><p>(We&#x27;re not blaming the games and the app itself. What we&#x27;re explaining to parents is that they should monitor their kids when they use gadgets.)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/19/beyond-school-security-angara-urges-communities-to-check-in-on-students-1530">Beyond school security: Angara urges communities to check in on students</a></div><p>Sen. Risa Hontiveros had cautioned that online games were being used as an entry point for groups such as the extremist &quot;764&quot; network to influence children to perform attacks.</p><p>She said social media platforms were also used by the extremist groups to communicate with children.</p><p>Psychologists and experts have advised against blanket statements that pin online games for the school shootings, saying that student violence is a complex problem.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2026/8/18/no-child-is-born-violent-psychologist-says-1908">No child is born violent, psychologist says</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>SCHOOL SAFETY ACT</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Meanwhile, Sen. Bam Aquino, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, is pushing for the urgent passage of the School Safety Act, which he said is a multifaceted approach to preventing school violence. </p><p>&quot;We have to accept na posibleng maulit ito muli kung di tayo aaksiyon,&quot; Aquino told ANC on Thursday. &quot;We have to make sure it won&#x27;t happen again.&quot;</p><p>The bill institutionalizes beefed-up security in schools by having more security personnel and volunteers as well as CCTVs and metal detectors, as he noted several school stabbing incidents in between the school shootings.</p><p>The proposed legislation also seeks to establish emergency response protocols, improve access to mental health and psychosocial support, and enhance coordination among schools, local governments, law enforcement agencies, parents, and communities, according to a <a href="https://edcom2.gov.ph/aquino-pushes-school-safety-bill-to-strengthen-violence-prevention-in-schools/">news release</a>.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2026/8/19/school-shooting-psychiatrist-warns-of-copycat-risk-lists-possible-warning-signs-1155">School shooting: Psychiatrist warns of copycat risk, lists possible &#x27;warning signs&#x27;</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GQR8Kby28Sg?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/inda4vZ3vKw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>A teachers' group on Thursday urged parents and guardians to monitor their children's use of gadget and online games, which it said were being infiltrated by adult groomers to influence kids to carry out violence.</p>

A teachers' group on Thursday urged parents and guardians to monitor their children's use of gadget and online games, which it said were being infiltrated by adult groomers to influence kids to carry out violence.

'Adults give the cue': Parents urged to monitor kids' gadget use after school violence incidents

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'Adults give the cue': Parents urged to monitor kids' gadget use after school violence incidents

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 20, 2026 12:43 PM PHT

Read More:

School Shooting

Zamboanga Shooting

Ateneo De Zamboanga Shooting

Bam Aquino

Miriam Sebastian

Private School Teachers Association in the Philippines

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