MANILA, Philippines – Why did the suspects in the fatal Tacloban City school shooting open fire?
As investigators continue to piece together what led to the attack that left three people dead, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is looking beyond the bullying angle for answers.
“The DOJ is also looking into the possibility that this was not a simple bullying incident. They also point to a larger trend or pattern of extremism. I think to downplay the discourse to just a simple bullying incident would be to downplay the whole issue entirely,” Department of Justice spokesperson Polo Martinez said on Tuesday, reported by GMA.
The statement adds weight to concerns that the Tacloban shooting may not be an isolated incident, but part of a disturbing trend that authorities have been tracking for months: the online grooming and radicalization of Filipino minors toward acts of violence.
Long before the Tacloban shooting, the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) had already warned lawmakers about a series of cases involving children allegedly influenced through online platforms.
