Manila: Philippine National Police: Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. announced that the Philippines is considering adopting or enhancing Australia's social media ban for minors as a strategy to counter online radicalization and prevent school shootings.
According to Philippines News Agency, Nartatez revealed this plan after the conclusion of the three-day 44th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Chiefs of Police (ASEANAPOL) conference in Pasay City. This marked the first occasion where the conference addressed school shootings alongside other crimes against children, such as online exploitation and trafficking.
During a press briefing, Nartatez stated, 'Upon coordination, upon talks, meetings with our neighboring countries as well as our dialogue partners, mayroon silang ibang batas and we'll try to consider [it] (They have a different law, and we'll try to consider [it]).' He further mentioned the possibility of replicating or improving Australia's law, which bans social media for users aged 16 and under.
PNP director for investigation and detective management, Brig. Gen. Matthew Baccay, mentioned that the police force is considering recommending to Congress the restriction of minors from social media. This proposal is based on discussions at the ASEANAPOL Conference regarding Australia's law on underage users.
Nartatez has directed all PNP units to implement relevant ASEANAPOL resolutions, focusing on intelligence sharing, cybercrime investigations, and anti-scam operations. This comes in response to the deadly Tacloban City school shooting in June, where three students were killed and 20 others injured. The PNP attributed this incident to the suspects' exposure to online violence through social media and the violent sandbox game GoreBox.
The conference, hosted by the Philippines under the theme "United in Vision: Securing People and Strengthening Collaboration," brought together police chiefs and heads of delegations from ASEANAPOL member countries, 12 dialogue partners, and 11 observer organizations. Delegates approved measures to enhance cooperation against cybercrime, online scams, illegal drugs, terrorism, trafficking in persons, firearms smuggling, and various financial, wildlife, and maritime crimes.
They also endorsed the continued modernization of the Electronic ASEANAPOL Database System (e-ADS), expanded forensic cooperation, police training, personnel exchanges, and the ASEAN Police Combat Operational Task Force for 2026-2028.
Meanwhile, the PNP welcomed Timor-Leste's endorsement as the 11th member of ASEANAPOL, which is expected to bolster regional cooperation against transnational crime. Nartatez emphasized that '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.' The endorsement awaits formal adoption through the Joint Communique before taking effect.
