The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has identified a group of groomers who have been targeting minors through social media platforms, according to a Tuesday report by RH 15 Jecelle Ricafort.

NBI Director Atty. Melvin Matibag announced that the bureau recently infiltrated the groomers’ group chat, which eventually collapsed.

The group consists of around a thousand members, including users from foreign countries, although most are Filipino.

Moreover, the bureau discovered that these groomers were targeting youths within the 12-19 age bracket, and encouraging them to commit acts of violence as part of their “initiation.”

“... An initiation para you will be promoted… May parang Bible sila, na pag nagawa mo ‘to, mapo-promote ka, may group kang inaalagaan, pagkatapos mong gawin ‘yung task na iyon at pinatay mo ‘yung sarili mo, you will be elevated to sainthood. Something like that,” Matibag told reporters, although he clarified that this example was not necessarily the case for the recent Zamboanga shooting.

“Marami, nakikita namin sa group, may ano ng bomb-making, nagtuturo ng kung ano-anong puro mga ilegal na mga bagay,” he added.

When the youths complete a task, they are promoted. For example, if they successfully take their own lives, they will be promoted to “sainthood” within their community, said Matibag.

The Investigation chief said the groomers who influenced the student shooters from San Jose National High School in Tacloban City and Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) Junior High School may have been from a single group chat.

The bureau is set to begin profiling netizens who shared video footage from the recent Zamboanga City school shooting to learn of any possible participation in the incident.

“We want to know kung ano ‘yung participation nila, because, from our point of view, kaya ini-live broadcast iyan, mayroong nanonood, e. May gusto siyang audience. Sino do’n? It could be the groomer… That’s why we want to know kung sino, that’s why we will profile everyone,” Matibag said.

Matibag will meet with Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, the officials of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), and Meta representatives regarding the matter this Thursday.