Human Rights Groups Slam DOJ Proposal for 'Nihilistic Violent Extremism' Law

Human rights groups have slammed the Department of Justice (DOJ) for pushing for a law against what it described as “nihilistic violent extremism,” arguing that existing laws are sufficient and that the DOJ must first determine whether there are systematic actions or groups behind such crimes. "They have not even determined whether there are systematic actions or groups behind those kinds of crimes, so the DOJ must immediately withdraw those kinds of proposals," said Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan, in an interview with the Inquirer. Palabay added that the fact that the DOJ is considering crimes that happened in schools within the purview or ambit of terrorism means that “there is something wrong.” This statement comes in the wake of a school shooting by minors in Tacloban City that led to the killing of three fellow students, as well as stabbing incidents involving minors in Cavite. DOJ Undersecretary Nicholas Ty had previously stated that a law against “nihilistic violent extremism” should be prioritized, referring to multiple school stabbing incidents at Bethel Academy on June 16, Cavite National High School on June 19, and Emilia Poblete Integrated High School on June 26. While Ty conceded that other laws exist to investigate and prosecute such cases, he insisted that “it would be better if there was a law that we can use that particularly addresses the problem.” However, even in the United States, where the concept of “nihilistic violent extremism” reportedly originated, such acts are prosecuted under regular and juvenile criminal laws. There is no federal law or state statute directly against nihilistic violent extremism. The term has been used by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other law enforcement agencies as an analytic classification and investigative term. The FBI first used the term in federal court documents in March 2025 concerning the case of Nikita Casap, an 18-year-old who murdered his mother and stepfather. The FBI has since used the term in investigations involving groups like ‘764’ and ‘No Lives Matter.’ The FBI defines “nihilistic violent extremism” as individuals engaging in criminal conduct “in furtherance of political, social, or religious goals that derive primarily from a hatred of society at large and a desire to bring about its collapse.” Researchers, however, caution that the term should not be used as a blanket label, as it might obscure other ideological influences, such as white supremacy or far-right extremism, which may still play a significant role in an attacker’s motivation. Ty insisted that nihilistic violent extremism or pointless violence “could” escalate from committing minor crimes to felonies. He theorized, “It can escalate to acts like self-mutilation or harming animals and pets, eventually reaching the point of a mass casualty event. And when this happens, the internet is used to exploiting and victimizing vulnerable youth, preying on their vulnerabilities and their need for companionship.”