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Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” is a striking and provocative piece
of music and visual art, vividly portraying themes of entitlement, chaos, and
social unrest. Its unsettling imagery, most memorably, scenes of sudden gun
violence, has been praised for its unflinching commentary on societal ills. The
work earned multiple honors at the 2019 Grammy Awards, including Song of the
Year, Record of the Year, Best Music Video, and Best Rap/Sung Performance.
In recent weeks, the Philippines has witnessed incidents that, while far
from art, echo the violence depicted in Gambino’s work. On August 12, 2025,
Arlyn Dofredo Alcebar, principal of an elementary school in Barangay
Agriculture, Midsayap, Cotabato province, was shot and wounded by unidentified
gunmen, just a week after a teacher was killed in Lanao del Sur, within the
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), as reported by
Ferdinandh Cabrera for Rappler.
In a separate case in Santa Rosa, Nueva Ecija, a Grade 10 student and
her 18-year-old alleged former boyfriend were critically injured after he
reportedly shot her before turning the gun on himself inside her classroom
shortly before noon on August 7, according to Armand Galang of the Philippine
Daily Inquirer.
These back-to-back tragedies have shaken the academic community’s sense
of safety. They also reignited debate: Could these acts of violence be a
consequence of overextending child protection laws, granting minors so much
autonomy that some are emboldened to commit crimes reminiscent of school
shootings in the United States? Could constant exposure to violent content
online be creating a dangerous perception that such acts are “trendy”?
Studies on U.S. gun violence, particularly school shootings, point to
multiple contributing factors, including easy access to firearms, gaps in
mental health services, and the influence of mass media (Peterson et al.,
2023). Researchers have found that some perpetrators actively use social media
to glorify violence, sometimes drawing direct inspiration from earlier attacks.
While the Philippines has different gun laws and cultural contexts, the recent
shootings in Cotabato and Nueva Ecija mirror troubling patterns seen abroad:
educational spaces, once considered safe, becoming targets.
The rise in youth violence comes as lawmakers debate Senate Bill 372,
filed by Senator Robinhood Padilla, which proposes lowering the minimum age of
criminal responsibility from 15 to 10 for minors accused of heinous crimes such
as murder, kidnapping, rape, and serious drug offenses. Padilla argues that
today’s tech-savvy youth can be capable of discernment and should be held
accountable. However, child rights advocates like Talikala disagree, pointing
out that many children still lack the maturity to fully understand the
consequences of their actions, and that the country’s rehabilitation facilities,
such as Bahay Pag-asa centers, are inadequate.
Meanwhile, reports of bullying and physical violence among students
continue to make headlines, prompting questions about parenting styles and the
role of the home. If virtual environments are shaping children’s behavior, is
parental authority being eroded? Are some parents, themselves distracted by the
pull of social media, neglecting the active guidance needed to steer their
children toward responsible conduct?
On August 8, the Department of Education (DepEd) ordered all schools to
strengthen measures to prevent similar incidents, underscoring the urgency of
the issue. But policy directives alone will not suffice. Local governments and
school authorities must study these trends carefully and use data-driven
insights to design targeted interventions. Without swift and evidence-based
action, the haunting imagery of “This Is America” could one day take on a
chillingly familiar title: “This Is the Philippines”.
Without urgent and united action, the violence we once only saw on
screens may soon become our own reality.
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