Sen. Francis Pangilinan did not discount the possibility that the recent school shootings in the country could be tied to efforts to instill fear and instability and ‘make the government look weak.’
While scrutinizing the Department of Justice’s proposed P46.44-billion budget for 2027 on Thursday, Pangilinan aired his concerns about the series of mass shootings in parts of the country that left several students dead.
‘We have gathered information indicating something unusual or out of the ordinary – three mass shootings in a row, something that had never happened before. This has led many to suspect that these incidents are actually organized, syndicated, and calibrated,’ he said.
‘And I wouldn’t be surprised if it is, as a means to create chaos, to create instability, to create fear and to make government look weak,’ he added.
His comment during the hearing of the Senate subcommittee on finance was directed to National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag.
Three students were killed, including the shooter, in the first school shooting in Tacloban in June. In August, another school shooting in Zamboanga City killed two learners, including the perpetrator.
This September, the third incident occurred inside Banga National High School in Banga, South Cotabato, killing three students, including the shooter.
Pangilinan recalled that he himself was subjected to smear campaigns during the last election and even called himself the ‘valedictorian of disinformation.’
‘In other words, I know that it can be done, the smear campaign. It’s actually done. I’m a victim of that,’ Pangilinan said.
‘So if it can be done in electoral campaigns, then it can also be done today. Because it got me thinking, never in our 20-plus years in the Senate that you had a mass shooting every month, out of the blue, this year alone,’ he added.
Matibag recognized the senator’s ‘valid’ concerns and vowed to take steps to ensure the country’s electoral, judicial, and legislative processes are not manipulated in cyberspace.
He mentioned a legislative framework that his office plans to submit to Congress.
‘This is what we call age-gating, wherein the use of social media and cyberspace will somehow be monitored. We use the term ‘age-gating,’ meaning that access and how these platforms are used will depend on the user’s age,’ Matibag said.
Sen. JV Ejercito, chairman of the Senate committee on finance, later raised the possibility that foreign funding could be supporting efforts to discredit the government and certain personalities.
‘For example, with the issue of the West Philippine Sea, I feel that many of these trolls and online warriors are funded by China,’ Ejercito asked.
‘Is it possible that they are funding this? And can we monitor that indeed external or foreign funding is being used to fund (these) social media activities?’ he pressed further.
Matibag cited ‘strong indications’ of information manipulation and interference by foreign entities.
He also warned of a possible foreign-funded effort aimed at influencing the electorate ahead of the 2028 polls.