Famous Host Teddy Corpuz Reacts to the Ban on Video Games Following the School Shooting

Following the bloody armed attack at a school in Tacloban City, a ban on some violent online video games has come to the agenda in the Philippines. In the tragic event that took place at San Jose National High School and deeply shook the country, it was reported that two young children, aged 14 and 15, fired guns inside the school. While a total of three people lost their lives in this horrific attack, twenty people were injured to varying degrees. Following the incident, a massive debate started on social media, with the gaming community and citizens beginning to express their views. In the authorities' initial investigations, it was revealed that one of the suspects was an avid player of a video game known for its violent content, named 'GoreBox'.

Famous television host and Teddy Corpuz, the vocalist of the band Rocksteddy, intervened in these discussions with his own views via his social media account. In a post he made on Facebook, he strongly objected to video games being held responsible as the cause of such horrific events. He began his words by stating that he himself plays 'Call of Duty', one of the popular gun and war games, yet his mental health and anger management are perfectly fine. Corpuz emphasized that the claim that games encourage individuals to violence does not convince him at all. He also argued that society should not create such easy targets to escape from the real problems.

The famous host, stating that much more complex and deep-rooted problems lie in the background of the experienced tragedy, expressed that attention should be drawn to the issues that actually need to be solved. Corpuz stated that at the root of the problem lie a better education system, strict security measures in schools, and more responsible laws regarding gun ownership. Additionally, he specifically emphasized that the responsibilities of parents over their children are an inseparable part of this issue. He underscored that portraying games as an 'accomplice' or a scapegoat would cause society to ignore other major structural problems. According to him, this approach was nothing more than a harmful distraction that only served to cover up the facts.

While criticizing the proposed blanket ban on violent video games, the Filipino artist made a very striking analogy. Drawing attention to an irony by reminding that even in basketball courts, arguments can sometimes turn into brawls, and even armed knife and gun fights. He revealed the absurdity of the situation by stating that if this logic were to be followed, all basketball courts and sports in the country should also be banned. He added to his words that bans would not reduce crime rates, especially crimes committed by minors, to zero, and that many more factors need to be evaluated instead. Firmly rejecting the idea of seeing the banning of a video game as a way out instead of solving all these problems, he described this mindset as a profound ignorance.

The views of the famous figure were not limited to social media; Bam Aquino, a prominent member of the Philippines Senate, also took a similar stance, announcing his opposition to game bans. Senator Aquino stated that the government should not waste time by imposing a general ban on online games. Instead, he emphasized that using existing resources and energy to increase the security of all schools would be a much more logical and urgent solution. It is believed that authorities need to take structural steps to ensure that young people receive psychological support and to prevent violent tendencies. All these debates have once again put on the table both the boundaries of the entertainment industry and the realistic steps that need to be taken to ensure social peace in the Philippines.