The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) on Tuesday, June 23, ordered the temporary blocking of the online game GoreBox following a school shooting in Tacloban City that killed three students and injured 20 others.
The move came after police investigators found that one of the Grade 9 students involved in the shooting at San Jose National High School was a regular player of the game, which features firearms and graphic depictions of violence.
Police Regional Office 8 director PBGen. Jayson Capoy earlier confirmed that one of the students frequently played GoreBox.
“We are blocking Gorebox temporarily as a precautionary measure pending the investigation. Within the day, expect the app to be blocked,” CICC undersecretary Aboy Paraiso said.
The agency said the temporary ban would remain in place while authorities determine whether the game had any influence on the actions of the students involved in the incident.
“We cannot ignore possible online influences that may have contributed to this tragic incident. Temporarily blocking the game will allow authorities to conduct a thorough assessment and whether the platform played any role in the actions of the suspects,” Paraiso said.
Released in 2023, GoreBox describes itself as “a physics-driven sandbox game where creativity meets unrestrained destruction.”
The game allows players to use a wide range of weapons and create violent scenarios in an open-ended virtual environment.
The CICC said its Threat Monitoring Center has intensified monitoring of GoreBox and similar online platforms in coordination with the Council for the Welfare of Children.
“Among other applications, we will be conducting strict monitoring to gain greater visibility into online activities involving GoreBox,” Paraiso said.
The agency said the Tacloban shooting underscored the need for closer scrutiny of digital platforms accessible to minors.
“Our priority is the safety and well-being of Filipino children exposed to the internet. Beyond this temporary ban, we are reinforcing our monitoring efforts to identify online spaces that may pose risks to young users and to ensure that appropriate interventions are made immediately,” Paraiso said.
The CICC urged the public to report cases of cyberbullying and other online threats through its hotline and email channels while authorities continue investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
