PNP Seeks Global Help to Track Online Extremist Group '764'

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police has asked for help from its counterparts abroad in tracking down “764,” an online extremist group believed to have influenced the two minor suspects in the Tacloban City school shooting on June 22. “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 in a statement on Thursday. “Our personnel will also look into the possible involvement of Filipinos in this group, as well as their supposed target victims,” he said. During a hearing on Wednesday, Senate committee on women and children chair Sen. Risa Hontiveros said there were indications the Tacloban school shooting could have been influenced by the “online nihilistic violent extremist” (NVE) group that infiltrates popular gaming platforms to brainwash vulnerable children. READ: Senate probe sees ‘extremist’ influence in Tacloban campus slays Two male students aged 14 and 15 opened fire inside the San Jose National High School, killing three students and injuring 20 more. Authorities believe the two may have been influenced by a local NVE network before they carried out the attack. The Department of Justice (DOJ), meanwhile, has appealed to Congress to pass a law to combat NVE, saying the shooting incident may not have just been a simple case of bullying. READ: Suspected ‘groomer’ of Tacloban school shooters tagged in Senate hearing In a press conference, Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty said that NVE involves exploiting children or young adults to commit different crimes. “Sometimes it starts with minor crimes like breaking and entering … Sometimes it’s self-mutilation. Sometimes it’s hurting animals or pets until it reaches the point where we have a mass casualty event,” Ty told reporters. He pointed out that perpetrators sometimes use the internet to exploit the vulnerabilities of young people to commit “bad things.” “They exploit their vulnerabilities and their need to have friends. And when they’re at that point, they exploit their need to maintain those friendships to get them to do all sorts of bad things,” Ty said. According to the DOJ official, crafting a law against NVE is necessary and should be comprehensive, just like the laws on crimes against terrorism and human trafficking in the country. Ty said the DOJ would gladly assist lawmakers in crafting a law against NVE, emphasizing that countering it should be a “whole-of-government approach.” In the meantime, the DOJ would recommend to the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) the use of counterterrorism mechanisms, which could allow authorities to gather intelligence to monitor certain activities. Ty noted that this tactic was being used by other countries to address NVE. “The counterterrorism mechanism in the ATC is usually interagency. It’s not just law enforcement; it’s not just military. The DSWD [Department of Social Welfare and Development] and the [Department of Education] are also there. So most of the relevant agencies for the NVE are already in place,” he said. The DOJ also gave an update on the Tacloban shooting case, with Justice Undersecretary Ian Dato reporting that the 15-year-old suspect, who is facing three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder, will soon undergo preliminary investigation. “He remains deprived of liberty at the Regional Rehabilitation Center for Youth in Region VIII (Eastern Visayas),” Dato added. The 14-year-old suspect, on the other hand, is undergoing intervention programs at the same facility under the custody of the DSWD. Under Republic Act No. 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, children aged 15 and below are exempt from criminal liability and would instead be subjected to intervention programs. Reacting to calls to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility following a series of cases of violence involving minors, Hontiveros said she is opposed to such a move but open to proposals to amend RA 9344. “I oppose lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility. But I agree that we should review, evaluate and even amend to strengthen the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, especially on the issue of mandating and supporting more comprehensive and effective intervention and diversion programs for children in conflict with the law, including those who committed heinous crimes,” she said in a forum in Manila. “And always, always, based on the principle of the best interest of the child,” Hontiveros added. Sen. Robin Padilla earlier urged fellow senators to work on amending the law and lower the age of criminal liability to 10 years old after the Tacloban school shooting. “If this issue will be discussed by the Senate committee on justice, if this is the right committee where such bills will be referred to, the committee will probably hear the latest research, the latest state of the art in terms of child and youth psychology and in terms of juvenile justice,” Hontiveros said. “I will actively participate in the hearing to learn also what’s the state of the art concerning science and the right advocacy,” she added. /cb /atm