Senate Hearing Examines Tacloban Shooting and Online Group 764

A Senate hearing on July 1, 2026 examined links between the Tacloban City school shooting and the online group 764. Senator Risa Hontiveros led the session and named the group during proceedings. Rappler reported that the U.S.

Federal Bureau of Investigation has designated 764 a national security threat and that Canada has labeled it a terrorist group. Joyancee Separa, mother of one victim, joined the hearing online. Psychologist Dr.

Liane Alampay testified that youth violence follows multiple pathways rather than a single trigger. “There is a pathway to violence… it’s not one time, one cause. There’s a backdrop, there’s a history, there are developmental issues, there’s context before they commit the violent action,” she said.

The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group stated it has conducted 17 rescue operations involving 24 minors since October 2025. All 24 identified themselves as members of the True Crime Community. Cybersecurity expert Angel Redoble described three layers of risk beginning with contact in games or social media, followed by recruitment into private communities and then coercion.

“It’s not the game… it’s the perpetrators or the predators in the game that’s really changing our children,” Redoble told the panel. Open-source intelligence researcher Bret Morales said he had infiltrated the 764 network and found both foreign and Filipino participants. The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center temporarily blocked the game GoreBox after the shooting.

Executive Director Aboy Paraiso said the action aimed to prevent coordination among other network members rather than to blame violent content itself. Lawmakers discussed possible new age-rating rules and platform accountability measures.