Germany-based GoreBox developer Felix Filip has declined an invitation to appear at the Senate hearing on July 1 into the fatal Tacloban City school shooting, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said on Friday.

In a press release on Friday, Hontiveros, chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, said the committee secretariat received an email from Filip confirming that he would not attend the scheduled hearing, either in person or via Zoom.

“After careful consideration, I must respectfully decline the invitation to appear at the hearing on 1 July 2026, whether in person or via Zoom,” Filip said.

In his message to the committee, Filip expressed condolences to the victims’ families, as well as to the students, teachers, and staff of San Jose National High School, and the broader community in Tacloban City.

“What happened on 22 June is a profound tragedy, and those affected by it deserve to be at the centre of this matter,” he added.

He also noted “for the committee’s record that GoreBox is classified as 18+ and is not intended for or directed at minors.“

“I appreciate the Committee's attention to the safety of young people, and I am grateful for your understanding of my decision,” he added.

Last June 22, a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old student fired guns inside their school in Tacloban City, Leyte killing three students dead and at least 20 others wounded. Authorities previously said that one of the suspects in the shooting may have been heavily influenced by the game prior to the incident.

Hontiveros will lead an inquiry into the June 22 shooting incident in Tacloban, including concerns over online radicalization and the potential exploitation of children in digital platforms.

Following the incident, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) imposed a temporary ban on the gaming application while investigations continue.

"Nakakadismaya na pinili ni Mr. Filip na huwag dumalo sa darating na hearing namin lalo na’t marami sana akong gustong malaman mula sa kanya mismo," Hontiveros said in a Facebook post.

Hontiveros said she plans to seek assistance from the German Embassy in the Philippines to help facilitate Filip’s participation in future proceedings, stressing that lawmakers aim to directly question the developer on safety guardrails, age restrictions, content moderation systems, and the exposure of young users to harmful online communities.