Amidst the observation of the National Schools Safety Month, Senate President Win Gatchalian is eyeing a specific law to address nihilistic violent extremism (NVE), which is being linked to escalating violence in schools across the country.
Perpetrators of NVE target young people through social media and gaming apps, where they gain the trust of minors, groom them, and manipulate them into committing acts of violence.
“There is a sense of urgency in crafting a specific law to address NVE, the online grooming of children, and the brainwashing that leads them to commit acts of violence. We want to work with the DOJ, through the Senate Committee on Women, to come up with that specific law because the problem can worsen,” Gatchalian said.
Earlier this year, authorities foiled a planned school attack in Laguna involving seven minors, linked to the mobile game Roblox. Meanwhile, one of the suspects in the Tacloban school shooting was also found to have been heavily influenced by the violent sandbox game GoreBox.
During a hearing of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Ty acknowledged that the country’s current legal framework does not sufficiently address the online recruitment of children into violent extremism.
Batas Laban sa Nihilistic Violent Extremism Isinusulong ni Gatchalian
Sa gitnang pagdiriwang ng National Schools Safety Month, isinusulong ni Senate President Win Gatchalian ang pagpasa ng isang partikular na batas upang tugunan ang nihilistic violent extremism (NVE) na iniuugnay sa lumalalang karahasan ngayon sa mga paaralan sa buong bansa.
Ginagamit ng mga nasa likod ng NVE ang social media at gaming apps upang targetin ang mga kabataan. Gamit ang social media at online games, kinukuha ng mga kawatan ang tiwala ng mga menor de edad, isinasailalim sila sa online grooming, at minamanipula upang gumawa ng mga mararahas na gawain.
“Kailangan nang bumuo ng isang partikular na batas laban sa NVE, sa online grooming ng mga bata, at sa brainwashing na nagtutulak sa kanila na gumawa ng mga mararahas na gawain. Nais naming makipagtulungan sa DOJ, sa pamamagitan ng Senate Committee on Women, upang mabuo ang partikular na batas na iyon dahil maaari pang lumala ang problema,” ani Gatchalian.
Sa unang bahagi ng taong ito, napigilan ng mga awtoridad ang isang planong pag-atake sa isang paaralan sa Laguna na kinasasangkutan ng pitong menor de edad at may kaugnayan sa mobile game na Roblox. Samantala, natuklasan ding malaki ang impluwensya ng marahas na sandbox game na GoreBox sa isa sa mga suspek sa pamamaril sa isang paaralan sa Tacloban.
Sa pagdinig ng Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, inamin ni Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Ty na hindi sapat ang kasalukuyang legal framework ng bansa upang mapigilan ang paghikayat sa mga bata na masangkot sa violent extremism.
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Photo by Mark Cayabyab / OS WIN GATCHALIAN
