SENATOR Risa Hontiveros has denied reports circulating online claiming that she recommended banning the video game GoreBox following reports linking it to violent incidents involving some minors.

Hontiveros clarified that the Senate Committee on Women has not issued any recommendations or findings on the matter, as it has yet to conduct its scheduled hearing.

She said the primary objective of the inquiry is to determine the factors that may have contributed to the incidents, particularly those that resulted in deaths, injuries to children, and grieving families.

Among those invited to the hearing are the parents of the victims, relatives of one of the suspects, officials from the Department of Education, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, the Game Developers Association of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, and other government agencies and stakeholders.

Hontiveros said the committee also wants to hear directly from the developer of GoreBox to better understand the game’s features and address concerns surrounding its use.

She noted that some reports suggest certain malicious individuals may be using online games to befriend young players before moving conversations to other platforms, such as Messenger, where they allegedly engage in grooming or encourage violent behavior.

While the game’s developer may not attend the hearing, Hontiveros expressed confidence that the committee would still gather valuable information from resource persons to help craft measures to better protect children both online and offline, including in schools.