Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is considering proposals to restrict or ban violent online games due to concerns about their potential influence on minors. This development follows the tragic school shooting in Tacloban City, as announced by Malaca±ang on Tuesday.

According to Philippines News Agency, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro revealed that discussions arose after reports surfaced that a minor involved in Monday's shooting at San Jose National High School was an avid player of a violent online game. Castro stated, "Napag-usapan po na 'yung mga ganoong klaseng app ay dapat na ma-ban sa Pilipinas. So maganda pong mungkahi iyan at sana makagawa agad ng batas at open ang Pangulo sa ganyang mga panukala (It has been discussed that those kinds of apps should be banned in the Philippines. So that is a good suggestion, and I hope a measure can be crafted immediately and the President is open to such proposals)."

The administration is reportedly open to legislative measures aimed at regulating access to violent online content, particularly for minors. Castro noted that lawmakers might expedite the study of potential restrictions in response to the incident.

This statement follows the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center's (CICC) order to temporarily block the online game GoreBox while an investigation is conducted. The CICC's action was a precautionary measure based on initial police findings that a student involved in the attack frequently played the game.

Authorities have clarified that no direct link has been established between the game and the shooting, and investigations are still ongoing.