KUALA LUMPUR – The Philippines is considering adopting or refining Australia’s social media restrictions for minors as part of efforts to combat online radicalisation and prevent future school shootings, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said.
Nartatez made the remarks after the conclusion of the three-day 44th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Chiefs of Police (ASEANAPOL) conference in Pasay City on Saturday, where school shootings were discussed for the first time alongside other crimes involving children, including online exploitation and trafficking, Bernama reported.
“Upon coordination, upon talks, meetings with our neighbouring countries as well as our dialogue partners, they have a different law, and we’ll try to consider it,” Nartatez said during a press briefing.
“If other nations are looking at the law in Australia, we can also copy it or improve it.”
Australia, an official dialogue partner of ASEANAPOL, introduced legislation last year preventing users aged 16 and below from accessing social media platforms.
PNP director for investigation and detective management Brig. Gen. Matthew Baccay said the police force is considering recommending that Congress introduce restrictions on minors’ access to social media, following discussions at the ASEANAPOL conference on Australia’s policy.
“It was agreed that perhaps we can borrow certain legislation to prevent the issue of social media and other platforms that are accessible to our children,” Baccay said at the same briefing.
Nartatez has also instructed all PNP units to implement relevant ASEANAPOL resolutions, particularly those involving intelligence sharing, cybercrime investigations and efforts against online scams, following the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City in June.
The PNP attributed the attack, which killed three students and injured 20 others, to the two minor suspects’ exposure to violent online content, including social media material and the violent sandbox game GoreBox.
Held under the theme “United in Vision: Securing People and Strengthening Collaboration,” the ASEANAPOL conference brought together police chiefs and delegation heads from member countries, 12 dialogue partners and 11 observer organisations.
Delegates approved measures to enhance regional cooperation against cybercrime, online scams, illegal drugs, terrorism, human trafficking, firearms smuggling, as well as financial, wildlife and maritime crimes.
They also endorsed continued modernisation of the Electronic ASEANAPOL Database System (e-ADS), expanded forensic collaboration, police training initiatives, personnel exchanges and the ASEAN Police Combat Operational Task Force 2026-2028.
Meanwhile, the PNP welcomed the endorsement of Timor-Leste as the 11th member of ASEANAPOL, saying the move would strengthen regional efforts to tackle transnational crime.
“With another trusted partner in ASEANAPOL, we can better address cross-border crimes and threats including trafficking, smuggling and cyber-enabled crimes through a more coordinated and unified response,” Nartatez said.
The endorsement, one of the key outcomes of the 44th ASEANAPOL Conference, will now proceed for formal adoption through the Joint Communique before taking effect. – July 26, 2026