Newly elected mayor of Manila, Philippines – Mayor Alfredo Lim, wants “violent video games” banned from minors.
In a report at Libre, the Mayor, nicknamed “Dirty Harry” due to his rough stand against crime, is planning to prohibit minors from playing these games inside amusement centers and arcades.
This was apparently done on the behest of the Philippine Alliance Against Pornography (PAAP).
“While the usefulness of the Internet in cyber education is imperative, what bothers me is the cutting of classes by students and the playing of war games, which is not good in the proper upbringing of our youth,” Lim said.

Lim had previously prohibited elementary and high-school students from playing computer games in mall arcades and computer cafes in the city between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.
I totally support the mayor on this. But here are some of my unsolicited thoughts and advice:
- Define what “violent” truly means – the problem here is we DON’T have a video games rating system. Perhaps the MTRCB or any government body adopt the US ratings system – the ESRB
- Children may see more violence in movies and TV. I hope they also look into that fact. There’s a study showing that the effects of violent games are tiny.
- What titles are considered violent? Lim stated an FPS shooter. There are worse.
- What’s to stop a kid from playing a “violent” game at home? or a friend’s house? This is where parenting comes in.
The Manila city council is currently drafting laws for this to be enacted soon. I sure hope they seek the advice of gaming experts before they do.
Just my 2 zennies worth…
GM T
Via Inquirer Libre
Photo by Malaya
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