Baguio officials have expressed concern over the access of minors to the “highly violent” video game GoreBox and similar games and urged parents, schools, internet cafe operators, barangays, and national government agencies to strengthen safeguards, as well as promotr responsible supervision to protect children from “harmful” digital content.
This collective sentiment of Baguio officials is expressed in Resolution 577-2026 which was unanimously approved by the Baguio City Council on June 29, 2026 and signed by Mayor Benjamin Magalong on July 3, 2026.
Introduced by Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda, the resolution requests the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Department of Education, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, barangays, and other concerned agencies to study and implement appropriate measures to strengthen awareness and prevent minors from accessing harmful digital content.
“Children and adolescents are increasingly engaged in online gaming through mobile devices, computers, and internet cafés, thus heightening their susceptibility to inappropriate and harmful digital content,” the resolution states.
It further calls for closer cooperation among aparents and guardians, educational institutions, internet cafe operators, and government offices in promoting safe and age-appropriate digital environments, stating that while parents bear the primary responsibility for supervising their children’s online activities, protecting minors from harmful content is a “shared responsibility.”
During the City Council’s June 29 regular session, Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President John Rhey Mananeng expressed reservation on the resolution, stressing that there is no substantial basis or studies for claiming that there is a direct correlation between video games and violent acts committed by
However, Tabanda argued that video games such as Gorebox are brutal, and children should not be exposed to such games.
Subsequently, on July 1, 2026, the Senate’s Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, held a hearing that examined not only the shooting that took place at San Jose National High School in Tacloban but also whether online communities had groomed or radicalized the two minor suspects.
Authorities and experts are now looking into the possibility that the attack may have been influenced by an online nihilistic violent extremist network known as “764.”**Jordan G. Habbiling
