Sen. Risa Hontiveros announced that the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality will open an investigation on July 1 into the school shooting incident in Tacloban City.
Hontiveros, who chairs the committee, said the inquiry aims to examine the role of online platforms in the spread of violent ideas among young people.
The planned hearing follows a previous Senate inquiry held in April, where discussions raised concerns that online platforms and gaming spaces were allegedly being used to groom, manipulate, and radicalize minors into violence.
According to Hontiveros, the committee will revisit whether online platforms are doing enough to prevent children and young users from being exploited.
The senator said the investigation will seek to determine if internet-based platforms are being used to victimize children and whether accountability measures should be pursued if such practices are confirmed.
“If it turns out that the internet is being used to prey on children, then someone should be held accountable,” Hontiveros said.
She also questioned whether major technology companies are taking sufficient action to protect young users from harmful content and exploitation.
Hontiveros said companies should not focus solely on profit while Filipino families and schools continue to face tragedies involving young people.
The senator added that authorities and stakeholders should act before similar incidents occur again.
The hearing comes in the wake of the shooting incident at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, which left several students dead and injured.
Hontiveros said the investigation would focus on identifying possible factors that contribute to youth violence and assessing whether existing safeguards are adequate to protect children from harmful online influences.
The Senate inquiry is scheduled to begin on July 1.
