The Germany-based founder of the video game allegedly tied to the fatal shooting in a school in Tacloban has turned down an invitation by a Senate panel compelling his attendance to its probe next week.

In an email provided by the office of Senator Risa Hontiveros to reporters on Friday, Felix Filip--the developer of the video game series Gorebox--said he would not attend the 1 July hearing, whether in person or virtually.

Hontiveros chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, which will investigate whether the deadly incident was related to increasing threats of radicalization targeting youth online and whether online and gaming platforms could be held liable for it.

Filip told the committee that he has no business being involved in the probe, adding that “those affected by it deserve to be at the center of this matter.“

He also pointed out that Gorebox is classified for adults aged 18 and over, “and is not intended for, or directed at, minors.“

Hontiveros, however, did not buy Filip's “disappointing“ excuse, warning that she will seek the help of the German Embassy in the Philippines to facilitate his attendance in the probe.

“Any developer or online company that wants to operate here, profit from Filipino users, and reach Filipino children must respect our laws and our institutions. This should be the bare minimum for them to do business here,” the chair stressed, adding that those who are defiant will be held responsible.

Gorebox is currently facing temporary restrictions in the Philippines after being linked to the tragic shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City on 22 June, killing at least three students and injuring several others, two of whom are critical and still in the intensive care unit.

The perpetrators, aged 14 and 15, are also enrolled at the same school and are currently in police custody.

Police said one of the minor suspects is an avid player of the “violent“ physics-based sandbox video game, and alleged that it may have contributed to the violence and the subsequent attack.

The temporary ban will be in place pending investigation and until the developer integrates stricter safeguards for minors.

Hontiveros argued that Filip should explain to the committee Gorebox’s guardrails, particularly its age safeguards, content moderation, and possible exposure of minors to possible violence tied to the video game.
 
The Senate probe aims to determine whether online and gaming platforms could be held liable amid alarming reports that they are being weaponized by “groomers” or extremists in Western countries to encourage children to be radically violent.

The impending investigation would be the continuation of the 14 April hearing, during which authorities found that the recent spate of school-based extremist activity was traced to gaming platforms, like Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Free Fire, among others.

One of the glaring examples of extremist activities, according to the Philippine National Police-Anti-Cybercrime Group, was the mass shooting plot by a group of students in Calamba, Laguna, supposedly during their foundation week.

Police foiled the plan in March after being notified by their foreign counterparts. Authorities said the intel helped them follow a digital trail and found that the suspect initially had gotten in touch with the minors through Roblox before shifting to private messaging on Facebook.