The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is asking Congress and concerned government agencies to look into possible actions against violent video games, including a possible ban, amid concerns about their impact on young people.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla raised the issue during a press conference at Camp Crame, saying repeated exposure to violent content in games may affect how young people view violence.
“Maraming puwedeng malubhang mangyayari. Now having said that, I believe also that games espousing violence like GoreBox should be permanently banned in the Philippines,” Remulla said.
His statement came after the reported school shooting in Tacloban City involving two minors, aged 14 and 15, that left three students dead and others injured. The incident led to discussions about different factors that may affect young people, including exposure to violent online content.
Remulla said violent video games may influence how young people understand violence and its consequences.
“[Games] desensitize young people to the elements of death, elements of violence, and elements of murder,” he said.
He added that Congress should study possible steps to address concerns about violent games.
Earlier, on June 23, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) announced the temporary blocking of GoreBox after reports that one of the suspects in the Tacloban shooting had played the game.
Felix Filip, developer of GoreBox and the founder of F²Games, meanwhile, declined an invitation to attend a Senate hearing related to the issue, saying he was based in Germany. The game was mentioned during discussions following the Tacloban shooting.
