SENATOR Risa Hontiveros said the Senate will continue its investigation into the factors surrounding the fatal school shooting in Tacloban City despite the refusal of the developer of the video game GoreBox to participate in the inquiry.

Hontiveros, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, said Germany-based developer Felix Filip declined the committee’s invitation to attend the July 1 hearing, either in person or via video conference.

The senator said she would seek the assistance of the German Embassy in the Philippines in hopes of facilitating the developer’s participation in the Senate investigation.

Hontiveros said she had intended to ask the developer about the game’s child safety measures, including its age restrictions, content moderation policies, and safeguards to prevent young users from being exposed to harmful online communities and violent content.

She stressed that the inquiry is not focused solely on one video game or one developer, but on establishing stronger accountability and safety standards for online platforms that are accessible to Filipino children.

According to Hontiveros, foreign-based developers and digital platforms operating in the Philippines and reaching Filipino users should comply with Philippine laws and cooperate with investigations involving child safety concerns.

The July 1 Senate hearing will examine the broader circumstances that may have contributed to the June 22 shooting at a school in Tacloban City, including the possible influence of online grooming, radicalization, and the normalization of violence on digital platforms.

Hontiveros emphasized that authorities are not concluding that a single video game caused the tragedy. Rather, she said the Senate aims to determine whether online environments may have played a role in exposing children to violent behavior and whether stronger safeguards are needed to better protect young users.

The senator said the inquiry forms part of broader efforts to strengthen the protection of students by promoting safer online spaces and ensuring that digital platforms accessible to minors uphold stronger child safety standards.