By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday urged parents to closely monitor their minor children’s access to online games amid a monitored threat of gaming platforms being used to expose youth to violent extremist ideas.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said while gaming platforms are meant for entertainment and social interaction, they can also be exploited by malicious actors targeting vulnerable users, particularly minors.
“We have to work together to ensure that our children will not be encouraged to violate the law by committing violence and other illegal activities that some people or groups may ask them to do. We’ve seen it in other countries, and we are working to ensure it doesn’t take root here,” Nartatez said in a statement.
The PNP chief directed the PNP’s Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) to intensify monitoring of online gaming communities and chat platforms where extremist recruiters may contact minors, and coordinate with platform developers to quickly flag and remove suspicious accounts.
The PNP-ACG recently rescued seven minors after authorities discovered they were allegedly being recruited online to carry out violent acts.
The rescue operation was launched after police received intelligence from foreign law enforcement partners about suspicious activity in an online gaming community.
According to the PNP-ACG, the minors were playing virtual reality games and interacting with foreign players through in-game communication systems.
Authorities said recruitment and psychological influence reportedly occurred through chat groups and online discussions within the platforms.
“We have been monitoring these and mapping out ways to protect the minors from any encouragement to commit violence and other illegal activities,” Nartatez said.
He added that the government is studying whether existing laws are sufficient to address the evolving threat. (PNA)
