The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday urged Congress to pass a law specifically addressing nihilistic violent extremism (NVE), saying existing legal tools are insufficient to counter the growing threat of online radicalization and violent acts involving children and young people.

The appeal comes as the DOJ continues to examine whether the recent school shooting in Tacloban City, which left three people dead and about 20 others injured, may have been influenced by patterns of nihilistic violent extremism rather than being solely a case of bullying.

Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty described NVE as a form of violent extremism in which vulnerable children and young adults are manipulated—often through online platforms—into committing increasingly serious crimes.

He said those behind NVE exploit the emotional vulnerabilities of young people and their desire for acceptance and belonging, gradually encouraging them to engage in harmful acts.

According to Ty, the behavior may begin with relatively minor offenses, such as trespassing or vandalism, before escalating to self-harm, animal cruelty, and, in some cases, mass-casualty attacks.

To address the threat, Ty said the DOJ is advocating for a comprehensive law modeled after the country’s anti-terrorism and anti-human trafficking statutes.

The department is prepared to assist lawmakers in drafting the proposed measure, stressing that combating NVE requires a whole-of-government approach involving law enforcement, education, social welfare, and other government agencies.

Ty said that, pending the enactment of such legislation, the DOJ would recommend that the Anti-Terrorism Council adopt existing counterterrorism mechanisms to address the emerging threat.

He added that similar approaches are already being used in other countries and would allow Philippine authorities to strengthen intelligence gathering and interagency coordination within existing legal frameworks.

The Anti-Terrorism Council’s interagency structure—which includes the Departments of Justice, Education, and Social Welfare and Development, among others—already provides a framework that could be adapted to respond to NVE while Congress deliberates on a dedicated law.

Data from the Philippine National Police’s Women and Children Protection Center showed that 1,275 school-related cases involving children in conflict with the law were recorded from 2022 to 2025, underscoring concerns over youth involvement in crime.