Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday called for legislation that would prohibit social media platforms from allowing minors to register, putting the onus on technology companies rather than children to enforce age restrictions.

Her call came a day after a shooting at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Junior High School campus left two students dead, including the alleged gunman, according to authorities. 

“If we make a law, we should prohibit platforms from allowing minors to register,” Duterte told reporters during an ambush interview in Zamboanga City.

Duterte said the government should regulate social media companies directly instead of trying to impose a ban on individual minors.

The House of Representatives is currently considering multiple bills on the issue. One proposal seeks to bar minors below 18 from creating or maintaining accounts on age-restricted social media platforms, while others set minimum ages at 13, 15 or 16. 

A separate Senate measure filed in April seeks to prohibit children below 16 from registering, accessing or maintaining social media accounts and would require platforms to implement age and identity verification systems. 

The House leadership has also proposed fines of up to 50 million pesos for platforms that fail to comply with child online safety requirements, including age verification and parental controls. 

The Vice President likewise called for psychosocial wellness programs and closer monitoring of both students and school personnel.

“There should be monitoring of our students, and not only them, including school personnel,” Duterte said, noting that an active shooter could potentially come from within the school community.

Asked whether her personal attendance would help speed up the proceedings, Duterte rejected the suggestion, saying she was fully represented by her defense team.

“Hindi po totoo yun kasi fully represented ako noong ating defense team,” she said.###