CICC, PNP push stronger online safeguards vs grooming, violent extremism

A screenshot from the ABS-CBN News documentary “May Halimaw sa Likod Ng Salamin.”

MANILA — The Philippine National Police and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center have been examining links between school shootings and certain true-crime communities and Nihilistic Violent Extremism groups operating in hidden corners of the internet, including the dark web.

“Nadi-diskubre natin na may mga groomers na nagpo-provoke sa kanila,” Police Maj. Gen. Andre Dizon, acting director of the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group, said, citing analysis of recent incidents.

(We are discovering that there are groomers provoking [the perpetrators].)

The discovery raises a difficult question: How do authorities identify and stop people who may be influencing vulnerable young people online, especially when their identities, locations, and intentions remain hidden?

Armed police walk through the school premises after a shooting in Bang Kruai district, Nonthaburi province, north of Thailand’s capital Bangkok, on August 7, 2026. Lillian Suwanrumpha, AFP 

The Philippines is not alone in confronting this emerging challenge. Other Southeast Asian countries, where school shootings have historically been uncommon, are also grappling with the possible influence of online communities promoting nihilistic violence.

In Indonesia, authorities monitored around 70 minors from 18 provinces who were linked to NVE groups last year. Twenty of the young people were reportedly found in possession of replica firearms, knives, and other weapons.

In August, a school shooting in Thailand’s Nonthaburi province left eight people dead and nearly 30 others injured.

The 14-year-old shooter, who also died in the incident, had earlier shot his grandparents at their home.

Authorities have also linked the case to NVE groups, underscoring concerns that online networks encouraging violence may transcend national boundaries.

Unlike structured terrorist organizations, however, these online communities can be difficult to define and dismantle.

Not everyone involved belongs to a formal group, and individuals connected to these spaces do not necessarily share the same motives.

This fragmented nature of online extremism makes it harder for authorities to determine who is responsible for spreading violent content, who may be grooming minors, and which young people are at risk of being influenced.

For the CICC, addressing the threat requires more than removing disturbing videos or blocking individual websites.

Undersecretary Renato “Aboy” Paraiso, executive director of the CICC, said the agency has been studying the problem to develop policies that could strengthen the government’s response to cybercrime and online grooming.

“Ginawan natin ng report, ginawan natin ng study ito to make a policy,” he said.

(We have made a report, we have made a study, to make a policy.)

Authorities are also looking into gaming platforms, where children may encounter inappropriate content or interact with strangers through in-game chat.

Paraiso said regulations should consider a child’s age and limit exposure to potentially harmful material.

 “Hindi dapat sila nakikipag-usap, wala dapat silang chat functions.”

(They should not be talking to strangers. They should not have chat functions.)

The challenge, however, lies in the sheer volume of content uploaded to the internet every day—and the limitations of even sophisticated artificial intelligence systems in identifying violent material.

Paraiso cited the difficulty of detecting videos related to a school shooting in Zamboanga, explaining that automated systems cannot always understand what a video depicts.

“Even if you have the most advanced AI, hindi niya madedetect kasi hindi niya makocontextualize yung video.”

(Even if you have the most advanced AI, it might not detect it since the program cannot contextualize the video.) 

He explained that a video may escape detection if it has no description or relevant tags that would allow an automated system to recognize its contents.

For Paraiso, technology alone cannot solve the problem.

“It is a challenge. There’s no silver bullet at kailangan magtulungan lahat eh. The government, the private sectors, the platforms.”

Barangay watchmen assist pupils of Caniogan Elementary School in Pasig City as they navigate the streets at the end of their classes for the day. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News 

While authorities investigate online influences, the Department of Education is also reassessing school security measures to address vulnerabilities that may allow violence to reach students.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara acknowledged that schools have traditionally concentrated on academic performance.

“Yung security measures talaga hindi talaga kami handa sa ganitong mga shootings eh… Yung mga bakod, wala naman tayong pondo sa mga bakod,” he said during an interview ni Banga, South Cotabato, where a third school shooting incident happened in September.

(The security measures are something we were not prepared for. We don’t have funding for the fences.)

DepEd Undersecretary for Operations Malcolm Garma said the department is looking into increasing the number of security personnel in schools and strengthening the deployment of closed-circuit television cameras and metal detectors.

“As one of our parang front layer natin ito, na masiguro na walang makapasok ng mga deadly weapons inside our schools.”

(That will be like our front layer, to make sure that no deadly weapons get into our schools.)

But Garma said security cannot end at the school gates.

Incidents in Tacloban and Cotabato highlighted the vulnerability of school perimeters, particularly when damaged or compromised fences provide alternative points of entry.

“Kung mayroon namang compromised area in terms of fencing, medyo nagiging vulnerable pa rin yung school natin.”

(If there are compromised areas in terms of fencing, the school will still be vulnerable.)

Garma said authorities must also confront the influence that children encounter online.

“Kasi nakita natin yung vulnerability is not just because of bullying or mental health issue but really nakita natin na malaking bahagi dito yung mga tinatawag na online influence ng ating mga kabataan.”

(Because we saw that the vulenrability is not just because of bullying or mental health issue but we really saw that online influence on our youth is a big factor.)

As part of these efforts, DepEd has launched a digital safety campaign to help learners recognize potentially dangerous online spaces and understand how grooming and manipulation can happen.

Garma emphasized that digital literacy must go beyond knowing how to use technology.

The goal, he explained, is to teach students how to use technology and social media safely, recognize warning signs, and avoid websites where they may be targeted for grooming or influenced toward violence.

The campaign, developed with the help of the CICC, seeks to make digital safety a shared responsibility among schools, families, government agencies, and online platforms.