Philippine police chief says the country will consider replicating Australia’s social media ban for minors to prevent school shootings.
MANILA: Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the Philippines will consider replicating or improving Australia’s social media ban for minors to counter online radicalisation and prevent future school shootings.
Nartatez spoke after the conclusion of the three-day 44th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Chiefs of Police (ASEANAPOL) conference in Pasay City, marking the first time the body addressed school shootings alongside other crimes targeting children.
“Upon coordination, upon talks, meetings with our neighbouring countries as well as our dialogue partners, they have a different law, and we’ll try to consider it,” Nartatez said in a press briefing. “If other nations are looking at the law in Australia, we can also copy it or improve it.”
Australia enacted a law last year banning social media for users aged 16 and under.
PNP director for investigation and detective management Brig. Gen. Matthew Baccay said the police force is eyeing a recommendation for Congress to restrict minors from social media, stemming from discussions at the ASEANAPOL conference regarding Australia’s ban.
“It was agreed that perhaps we can borrow certain legislation to prevent the issue of social media and other platforms that are accessible to our children,” Baccay said.
Nartatez ordered all PNP units to implement relevant ASEANAPOL resolutions, particularly on intelligence sharing, cybercrime investigations and anti-scam operations, in light of the deadly Tacloban City school shooting in June that left three students dead and 20 injured. The PNP blamed the shooting on the two minor suspects’ extensive exposure to online violence via social media and the violent sandbox game GoreBox.
Hosted by the Philippines under the theme “United in Vision: Securing People and Strengthening Collaboration,” the conference brought together police chiefs from ASEANAPOL member countries, dialogue partners and observer organisations. Delegates approved measures to strengthen cooperation against cybercrime, online scams, illegal drugs, terrorism, trafficking, firearms smuggling, and financial, wildlife and maritime crimes. They also endorsed modernisation of the Electronic ASEANAPOL Database System (e-ADS), expanded forensic cooperation, police training, personnel exchanges, and the ASEAN Police Combat Operational Task Force 2026-2028.
The PNP welcomed the endorsement of Timor-Leste as the 11th member of ASEANAPOL. “With another trusted partner in ASEANAPOL, we can better address cross-border crimes and threats including trafficking, smuggling and cyber-enabled crimes through a more coordinated and unified response,” Nartatez said. The endorsement now awaits formal adoption through the Joint Communique.
