Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday clarified that she has not called for a ban on online games like Gorebox following the tragic school shooting in Tacloban City, dismissing online rumors to the contrary.
Through a social media post, the lawmaker categorically denied pushing for any such restrictions ahead of the scheduled Senate probe into the incident.
“I never recommended, said, or even thought about banning any game including Gorebox,” Hontiveros said in a social media post.
Hontiveros, who chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, emphasized that official findings have yet to be established as the formal legislative inquiry is still set to begin.
“Wala pang recommendation ni findings na lumalabas sa Senate Committee on Women because we are still to hold the hearing tomorrow,” she explained.
The senator urged the public to ignore online misinformation and keep the focus on the tragedy’s real victims.
“So wag pangunahan nung mga nag fake news over the weekend. Dun po tayo sa totoo. Ang totoo ay may mga batang napatay, may mga magulang na naulila sa anak, may marami pang bata na sugatan at malalim ang trauma,” she added.
The Senate panel is launching its investigation on Wednesday, July 1, into the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, where two teenage suspects, aged 14 and 15, allegedly shot and killed three fellow students. Both shooters are now in government custody.
Meanwhile, Germany-based game developer Felix Filip declined the committee’s invitation to attend the hearing, sending an email noting that Gorebox carries an 18+ rating and is strictly not intended for minors.
Independent of the Senate, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) already enforced a temporary ban on the game on June 23 while authorities assess if it influenced the suspects.