PNP seeks international cooperation to combat online extremist

National

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is pursuing international law enforcement collaboration to dismantle an online group identified as "764."

The online was suspected of radicalizing the two minors responsible for the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, a report by Inquirer.net said.

The tragic incident, which left three students dead and 20 injured, has prompted officials to investigate the role of online Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) groups that reportedly infiltrate gaming platforms to manipulate vulnerable youth.

“The PNP will coordinate with foreign law enforcement agencies to determine the extent of the group’s operations and identify the individuals behind it,” PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has subsequently called for urgent legislative action to address the growing threat of NVE, arguing that the Tacloban incident transcends typical bullying.

Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty explained that these extremist actors systematically exploit the social needs of young people, often escalating from encouraging minor infractions and animal cruelty to orchestrating mass casualty events.

To combat this, the DOJ has proposed a comprehensive legal framework similar to existing anti-terrorism and human trafficking statutes and in the interim, will recommend that the Anti-Terrorism Council utilize existing interagency counterterrorism mechanisms to improve intelligence monitoring.

Regarding the legal proceedings, Justice Undersecretary Ian Dato confirmed that the 15-year-old suspect is currently held at the Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth in Region VIII and faces multiple counts of murder and attempted murder.(Jane Michelle Buenaventura, PIT Comm Intern)