THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is looking at adopting best practices from other countries as part of efforts to prevent incidents similar to the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City that claimed the lives of three students and left 20 others injured.
PNP Chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the issue of mass shootings emerged as one of the topics discussed during the recently concluded 44th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Chiefs of Police (Aseanapol) Conference, where police leaders exchanged experiences and strategies for addressing emerging threats to public safety.
According to Nartatez, the Tacloban incident, which was carried out by minors classified as children in conflict with the law (CICL), prompted discussions on how legislation and law enforcement policies in other countries could help prevent similar attacks.
Among the measures being considered are laws similar to those adopted in Australia, which prohibit children under the age of 16 from accessing social media and impose penalties on technology companies that fail to enforce the restrictions.
Australia participated in the Aseanapol conference as one of the observer countries.
Nartatez said the PNP is studying whether comparable policies could be adapted to the Philippine setting, noting that lessons from foreign jurisdictions may provide lawmakers with options for strengthening child protection and addressing online influences linked to youth violence.
Brigadier General Matthew Baccay, director of the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management, said there was broad recognition among conference participants that legislation from other countries could serve as a reference in crafting policies aimed at limiting children's exposure to harmful online content and other digital platforms.
The PNP chief said the discussion marked the first time school shootings had been specifically tackled during an Aseanapol conference.
Delegates also discussed crimes affecting children, including online sexual exploitation and human trafficking, as law enforcement agencies seek a more coordinated regional response to threats involving minors.
Nartatez said the PNP may recommend that Congress study possible legislative measures on minors' use of social media as part of a broader strategy to prevent violence involving young people.
Beyond the issue of school shootings, the police chief said Aseanapol member countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening intelligence sharing, operational coordination, and institutional capability-building to address evolving security challenges across the region. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)