DOJ gathering info on 8chan, site used by Texas gunman

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice is collating information on “8chan,” the online messaging board where posts of violent extremists can be found, believed to be operating in the Philippines.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Wednesday that the DOJ is “gathering more info before we decide if this is something for the [National Bureau of Investigation] to look into.”

Following the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas over the weekend, 8chan creator Fredrick Brennan called for the shutdown of the site which has become a breeding ground for violence, the New York Times reported.

READ: Anonymous message board 8chan used by Texas gunman operates from the Philippines

The gunman in the El Paso shooting reportedly posted an announcement on the messaging board that was directed to his “brothers” where he criticized the “Hispanic invasion of Texas.”

The Bureau of Immigration, for its part, said it is looking into the records of foreign nationals connected to the website.

“We are interested in verifying the records of these foreign nationals allegedly working in the Philippines,” Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval said.

The NBI and BI are agencies under the DOJ.

The Philippine National Police, for its part, said it tapped its Anti-Cybercrime Group to monitor the said website.

READ: PNP probes website used by Texas gunman

Brennan founded 8chan in 2013, as an alternative to 4chan after it implemented policies to deter gamers from posting personal information and plan attacks.

According to an April 2016 report from news site Splinter, US Army veteran Jim Watkins first came into the picture when 8chan kept on going offline due to exceeded bandwidth limits or its offensive content.

Watkins was then already residing in Manila where he owns a pig farm outside the city. He offered assistance to Brennan.

In October 2014, Brennan accepted the offer of Watkins and moved to the Philippines to work with the army veteran.

Watkins has been running 8chan from the Philippines since 2015 when Brennan gave him control over the site. — Kristine Joy Patag with reports from Patricia Lourdes Viray