The Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality will investigate the Tacloban City school shooting this morning officially.
Risa Hontiveros will lead the 10:00 a.m. hearing to examine the incident and identify possible gaps in protecting children from violence.
The committee will also discuss Roblox and other online gaming platforms regarding their possible influence on children’s safety and online interactions.
Invited stakeholders include the Department of Education, Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Game Developers Association of the Philippines, and several government agencies.
Representatives from the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, Philippine National Police Tacloban, and other offices will also participate during today’s hearing.
Hontiveros said the committee also wanted to hear directly from the developers of GoreBox regarding the platform’s safety measures and policies.
She explained that some individuals may exploit gaming platforms by befriending children before moving conversations elsewhere to facilitate harmful grooming activities.
The GoreBox developer previously announced that company representatives would not attend the hearing either in person or through online participation today.
Following those developments, Hontiveros received public criticism, prompting her to immediately clarify her position regarding the ongoing congressional inquiry and investigation.
She emphasized that she has never proposed banning GoreBox or any video game because the committee has not issued recommendations yet.
The committee will formulate recommendations only after reviewing evidence, hearing testimonies, and evaluating findings from today’s public hearing before reaching conclusions carefully.
Source: Anne Cortez, Brigada News FM Manila
