Senator Bam Aquino on Monday voiced his opposition to Malacañang’s openness to restricting or banning violent video games in the wake of a fatal school shooting in Tacloban City, arguing that the medium is frequently used as an easy excuse when violent incidents occur.
Pointing to multiple academic studies, Aquino highlighted that researchers have consistently failed to find a direct link between playing video games and school shootings.
He emphasized that video games are a legitimate form of art and entertainment that do not intrinsically trigger violent behavior.
“Magpi-50 years na rin yung mga video games pero it’s always a convenient scapegoat sa tuwing may nangyayaring insidente ng karahasan,” he said.
Rather than enacting a sweeping ban, the lawmaker pushed for more rigorous enforcement of age ratings on mature-themed games, drawing a parallel to how the government regulates movies and television shows.
“Maraming games na hindi pangbata. Maybe what we can clarify is kung meron man mas maging strikto, dapat mas istrikto yung access ng mga bata sa mga mature video games,” Aquino said.
He further noted that digital storefronts and physical retailers must implement stronger verification measures to keep mature content away from minors. However, he maintained that a total prohibition on video games misses the mark.
Aquino also stressed that parents bear the responsibility of monitoring what their children play to ensure the content is suitable for their age.
At the same time, he called on game developers to secure their online spaces—especially those intended for younger audiences—against online predators, extremists, and other bad actors.
“Dahil pangbata yan, yung developers mayroong silang responsibility na ma-monitor, ma-check at ma-ban yung mga predators o yung mga tao doon na may masasamang balak,” he said.
The senator’s statements come after Malacañang indicated that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would consider proposals to restrict or outlaw violent online games. The Palace raised the possibility following a tragic shooting at a Tacloban City school that claimed the lives of three students and left over 20 others wounded.