SEN. Risa Hontiveros welcomed Roblox’s commitment to cooperate with Philippine authorities as she emphasized the importance of requiring online platforms to appoint a legal representative in the country.
Hontiveros raised the matter during a meeting with Roblox representatives amid ongoing discussions of the strengthened Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children bill, now known as the SAGIP Bata Act, at the Senate.
Under the measure, online platforms would designate a Philippine-based representative authorized to receive subpoenas, takedown and blocking orders, requests for account information and other lawful directives.
“When a Filipino child is potentially a victim of grooming or online sexual abuse, every hour matters. Our authorities need to know immediately whom to contact,” she said.
Roblox said it already has channels for coordinating with Philippine law-enforcement agencies and is open to appointing a qualified third party as its local representative.
Hontiveros said the requirement is intended not only to create a dependable bridge between platforms and Philippine authorities, but also to have clear accountability and compliance channels in place.
“We appreciate Roblox’s openness and its existing work with our law-enforcement agencies. Our goal is to build on that cooperation and make it reliable across platforms, and not dependent on informal or individual arrangements,” she said.
Hontiveros has maintained that protecting children online cannot be placed solely on parents and young users. Platforms that provide spaces where children meet and communicate must also help prevent grooming, exploitation and abuse.
The meeting follows discussions between Philippine officials and Roblox executives in Singapore in August, where the gaming platform committed to incorporate the Philippine National Identification System into its user verification process and developing stricter safeguards for children’s messaging features.
Roblox also said it would establish an office in the Philippines by October and designate a liaison officer to directly coordinate with authorities.
The August talks were part of the government’s efforts to strengthen cooperation with major online platforms, along with Meta, which operates the social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads.
Meta also committed in August closer coordination with the Philippine government, including the creation of a technical working group, designation of a point of contact and sharing of relevant data when necessary.
A Meta team was also expected to visit Manila this month to formalize those commitments.
