Senator Bam Aquino on Monday rejected a blanket ban on violent video games, arguing instead for the strict implementation of age restrictions rather than wiping out an entire medium. 

Aquino pointed out that numerous studies have found no correlation between video games and school shootings. 

Treating video games as both an art form and a legitimate entertainment medium, the senator firmly stated that they “do not cause violent behavior.”

Aquino slammed the habit of blaming the gaming industry for broader societal issues, calling it a lazy distraction from the real issues at hand. 

“Magpi-50 years na rin iyong mga video games, pero it's always a convenient scapegoat sa tuwing may nangyayaring insidente ng karahasan.” he said.

Instead of a total shutdown, Aquino urged the government and retailers to enforce stricter age limits on mature-rated games, mimicking the current regulatory systems used for films and television programs. 

“Dapat sa mga video game stores and online stores, medyo mas strikto rin yung ating rules pagdating sa mga bata at iyong pag-access nila sa mga mature video games. But banning video games in general or as a whole, I don't think that's a good solution to our problems.” Aquino emphasized.

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