Senate aspirant wants to ban Dota, COC among youth

A senatorial aspirant on Wednesday has launched an "attack" on popular online games like Clash of Clans (COC) and Defense of the Ancients (Dota), saying she would push for the banning of these games among students if she wins in the May 2019 elections.

Claiming to be a "street educator," Bethsaida Lopez filed her certificate of candidacy at the Commission on Elections main office in Manila and stressed how these online multi-player strategy video games ruin the lives of students and promote vulgarity among them.

"Natututo pang magmura sila... nakikita ko kasi iyong [COC at Dota] ang popular games na kinalolokohan ng mag kabataan," Lopez could be seen telling reporters in a tweet posted by Super Radyo dzBB's Manny Vargas.

#Eleksyon2019 Bethsaida Lopez, isa umanong street educator nais ipatanggal ang COC at DOTA dahil sa pagkasira ng pag-aaral at buhay ng mga kabataan @dzbb pic.twitter.com/67qbLsh6O7

— manny vargas (@VargasMannysen) October 17, 2018

Lopez said the hard work of these students' parents gets wasted when their children end up stopping school once they get "addicted" to these online and mobile games.

"Kawawa naman ang mga magulang natin kapag sila ay nagpipilit na magsipag tapos ang anak... makikita na lang natin 'di pala nakagraduate ang anak," she said.

Lopez said she has personally seen children play these games in computer shops until the wee hours of the day.

"Kapag ako ay nagfe-Facebook pag minsan ako ay inabot ng madaling araw sa pagpunta sa iba't ibang lugar nakikita ko ang mga kabataan magdamagan ang kanilang paglalaro halos kasabay ko sila," she said.

Bethsaida Lopez, who claims to be a street educator, files candidacy for Senate in 2019 elections. She wants to ban video games Clash of Clans and DOTA because "makakasira ito sa mga kabataan." @gmanews pic.twitter.com/ZQ0OvBBL1g

— Llanesca T. Panti (@llanescajourno) October 17, 2018

The senatorial aspirant recounted an incident to demonstrate the adverse effect of these online games to students and their families.

"May nakapagsabi sa akin, kukuhang arkitekto ang isang anak niya, graduating na. Tapos nagpunta sa graduation. Hindi sinasabi ng anak na 'di pala siya ga-graduate," she said.

"Tumakas ang anak. Pagdating ng magulang doon, hindi pala ga-graduate ang anak. Hinimatay [ang magulan] sa galit," she added. — with a report from Llanesca T. Panti/MDM, GMA News