Tovic Salvador

Article (news)

Arthur Fuentes

ABS-CBN News

MANILA – The Philippines&#x27; cybercrime agency on Tuesday ordered a temporary ban on the sandbox video game GoreBox, following a school shooting in Tacloban City that killed three students and left 20 others wounded.The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) ordered this after police said that a 14-year-old suspect behind Monday&#x27;s attack at San Jose National High School was a regular player of the application. &quot;We are blocking GoreBox temporarily as a precautionary measure pending the investigation. Within the day, expect the app to be blocked,&quot; said CICC Undersecretary Aboy Paraiso.First launched in 2023, GoreBox markets itself as &quot;a physics-driven sandbox game where creativity meets unrestrained destruction.&quot; Unlike other shooting games that rely on very realistic graphics, Gorebox uses blocky animation, akin to Roblox and Minecraft. The game is available for PCs and Android devices.Local authorities launched a sweeping inquiry into the shooter&#x27;s digital footprint after police reports about the student&#x27;s alleged frequent immersion in the game.&quot;We cannot ignore possible online influences that may have contributed to this tragic incident,&quot; Paraiso stated, adding that the suspension would allow for a &quot;thorough assessment on whether the platform played any role in the actions of the suspects.&quot;The CICC’s Threat Monitoring Center (TMC) said it is working with the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) to better monitor online platforms. &quot;Among other applications, we will be conducting strict monitoring to gain greater visibility into online activities involving GoreBox,&quot; Paraiso noted.The CICC also urged the public to immediately report cases of cyberbullying and other online threats through Hotline 1326 or report@cicc.gov.ph.&quot;Our priority is the safety and well-being of Filipino children exposed to the internet,&quot; said Paraiso. &quot;Beyond this temporary ban, we are reinforcing our monitoring efforts to identify online spaces that may pose risks to young users and to ensure that appropriate interventions are made immediately.&quot;The American Psychological Association has said that there is <a href="https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2020/03/violent-video-games-behavior" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">insufficient scientific evidence</a> to support a causal link between violent video games and violent behavior.

"We are blocking GoreBox temporarily as a precautionary measure pending the investigation," a CICC official said.

"We are blocking GoreBox temporarily as a precautionary measure pending the investigation," a CICC official said.

Cybercrime body bans videogame GoreBox after Tacloban school shooting

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Cybercrime body bans videogame GoreBox after Tacloban school shooting

Arthur Fuentes,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 23, 2026 03:45 PM PHT

Read More:

GoreBox

Tacloban school shooting

violent vieogame

CICC

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