DepEd Flags Rising Youth Gang Activity in Schools, Boosts Police Visibility

The Department of Education (DepEd) has flagged the growing gang activity among learners as the agency grapples with reports of school-related violence nationwide. Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara welcomed the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) commitment to increase police visibility in and around schools. “Gangs and their members are increasing. Other gangs began during the pandemic and have continued to this day,” Angara told reporters, noting that gang fights, often stemming from classroom conflicts, frequently spill over outside school premises after class hours, sometimes involving non-students. To curb further aggravation, DepEd has been working to boost police presence around campuses to deter physical violence among students. “Police visibility is very important because when the police see them, they don’t assemble anymore,” Angara said. The Education chief also expressed support for banning and regulating violent online games, such as Gorebox, which may suggest ideas of gang behaviors and other harmful activities. Citing President Marcos, Angara stated, “If we have to ban them, we should ban them. His point is, we should listen to the experts because they are the ones who have experience in this matter.” He elaborated that games similar to Gorebox, where “the point of that game is to organize as gangs and to inflict harm upon the other,” should be banned or regulated. Gorebox, a violent sandbox and first-person shooter game, was removed from the Philippines’ Google Play Store and Steam last month following its alleged link to a fatal school shooting in Tacloban City. Authorities reported that one of the 14-year-old perpetrators had been an avid player of Gorebox, which may have contributed to the tragic incident. “We’re aware that the violence is increasing,” Angara said. He acknowledged that experts suggest exposure to damaging social media sites, bad influences, groomers, and terrorist groups online actively recruiting may be contributing factors, and DepEd is working to limit children's exposure. However, he also noted that compared to the roughly 47,000 to 48,000 schools nationwide, the number of incidents is “relatively not a source of concern.” Authorities have recorded 15 school-related violence and threats nationwide from June 16 to July 6, including the school shooting in San Jose National High School (SJNHS) in Tacloban City that resulted in three deaths and 20 injuries. — Almira Louise S. Martinez