NBI uncovers ‘groomers’ inciting kids to violence

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation has identified a group of “groomers” who allegedly recruit minors to carry out acts of violence, Director Melvin Matibag said on Tuesday.

At a press briefing, Matibag said that based on their initial investigation, the supposed groomers, who have a group chat, target minors aged 12 to 19.

“There is a group, the groomers …, they will profile you. Initially, they’ll be very friendly, they will look at your profile, your family, your capability. Then they will teach you [how to commit violent acts],” he added.

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“We entered this group chat. But that group collapsed for some reason,” Matibag said.

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The NBI is currently investigating the Aug. 18 shooting at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) in which the shooter—a 14-year-old Grade 8 male student—streamed his actions on Facebook live.

Authorities reported the content to Meta, Facebook’s parent company, five minutes after the livestream was detected, but the video remained online for another nine minutes before it was removed.

The shooter killed a 15-year-old Grade 10 male student before turning the gun on himself.

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In a separate ambush interview, Matibag said the “groomers” in the group chat number approximately 1,000 individuals.

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“There are members from other countries but [they are] mostly Filipinos,” he added.

‘Initiation’

According to Matibag, the group allegedly has what he described as an “initiation” in which members are directed to carry out violent acts such as bomb-making and engage in other illegal activities.

“It’s like an initiation. You will be promoted. You’re taught—there’s this like bible that if you do it, you’ll be promoted,” he said.

“You have a group that you’re taking care of. The thinking is … after you do that task and then kill yourself, you’ll be elevated to sainthood. Something like that,” Matibag said.

According to him, the NBI is verifying whether the supposed group of groomers is connected to the AdZU school shooting and recent incidents of acts of violence in other schools.

Matibag said the NBI would also profile the individuals who shared the AdZU student’s video of the incident.

“That’s why it was broadcast live; people were watching. He wanted an audience. Who was there? It could be the groomer or the head … That’s why we will profile everyone,” he explained.

Matibag said that he—along with officials from the Office of the President, Office of the Speaker, Department of Information and Communications Technology and Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC)—would meet with Meta in Singapore on Thursday to seek help in probing the incident.

Before the AdZU shooting, several cases of school-related violence—such as stabbing and shooting—had occurred in the country over the past three months, starting June 16.

Connection

Authorities are looking at the possible effect of violent video games and extremist online groups following reports that some of the perpetrators may have been influenced by someone they met online.

President Marcos, meanwhile, is open to proposals to ban Facebook and other online platforms in the country should they fail to regulate content that could influence the youth to engage in violent behavior and the proliferation of fake news.

“The President supports not only the banning of Facebook but all platforms, including gaming apps, that could be considered harmful to our young people and our country,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said on Tuesday.

According to Castro, the government is currently studying the possible banning of these platforms as they are contributing not only to the spread of violence but also to the surge of misinformation and disinformation.

“If any social media platform does not have accountability, and if our requests to protect our fellow Filipinos from violence and fake news are simply being ignored, or if the response is slow, then it would be good to consider and study whether these platforms should remain part of our system,” Castro said in a Palace briefing.

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She shrugged off criticism that prohibiting Facebook would be a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression. /cb