Hunt on for alleged online ‘groomer’ linked to Banga school shooting

MANILA — Authorities are tracking down a person suspected of influencing the minor behind the deadly school shooting in Banga, South Cotabato through online conversations, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said.

Remulla said the suspected recruiter is in the Philippines and authorities have already identified where he is based.

“Halos nahuli na namin ‘yung isa. We’re chasing him right now. We located him already. But he wasn’t there at the location na akala namin. We know where he lives, taga-same area rin,” Remulla said Tuesday.  

The DILG chief said online groomers allegedly target young people who could be vulnerable, making them believe that committing acts of violence would earn them recognition.

“They prey upon their insecurities, telling them that they will be glorified if they do something like this. There are rewards to be famous. So it’s a very insidious way of inciting that kind of behavior,” Remulla said.

Remulla earlier said investigators found that the junior high school student who carried out the Banga shooting had been heavily exposed to the deep dark web. 

“There is a difference between acting alone and being influenced by a ‘groomer.’  They never met each other.  They didn’t plan anything together. The student’s mind was molded by the sites he saw,” Remulla told ABS-CBN News. 

The September 18 shooting at Banga National High School left three students dead and several others injured. 

The incident was the third deadly school shooting reported in the Philippines this year, following shootings in Tacloban City in June and Zamboanga City in August. 

Remulla said authorities were treating online threats involving school shootings seriously.

He also said the government was looking at broader measures to prevent minors from being exposed to harmful online content, including possible restrictions on children’s access to social media and websites, citing Australia’s approach.

The DILG chief urged parents to closely monitor their children’s online activities and watch for changes that could indicate exposure to violent content.