Barangay Council of Salawag Bans First-Person Shooters
After passing a resolution that banned the multiplayer online game Dota from computer shops in its area of responsibility, the Barangay Council (village council) of Salawag, Dasmarinas, Cavite allegedly passed a resolution which bans all first-person shooter (FPS) games such as Counter-Strike and Crossfire, among others.
According to the ordinance, dated Jan. 19, 2015, the reason for removing the game is because “it has a bad influence to the youth in the sense that it makes them violent and makes them lie, steal (and possibly kill) so that they can play the game.”
The punishments for the following infractions are as follows:
1st offense: One month suspension
2nd offense: Revocation of Business Permit
3rd offense: Permanent Closure of the Shop and Total Ban
The copy of the resolution passed by the barangay council.
In a related development, Philippine eSports Organization Director Irymarc Gutierrez released a statement regarding Barangay Salawag’s ban on Dota. He says that instead of banning games, real focus should be placed on creating a sustainable and well-regulated eSports industry to properly address concerns of hooliganism, gambling and truancy among Salawag’s youth population.
The barangay council was not available for comment as of press time.
Featured image taken from Crossfire Stars Facebook page.
-eSports Inquirer, with additional reporting from N. Josef Biola and Earl Guevarra-
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