MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla revealed Thursday that local investigators have uncovered thousands of explicit files allegedly linked to Thomas Markle Sr.
During a press briefing, Remulla stated that authorities found 7,500 photographs and a video involving underage males and females of Asian, Latina, and European descent.
Although local officials showed him the digital materials, he opted not to examine them, describing what was presented as profoundly alarming.
“So it’s actually, they presented it to me but I didn’t want to look because I can’t see it. It is the most deplorable display of impunity towards sexual activity that I have ever seen and It is really, really distributing,” Remulla said.
Authorities are also probing whether Markle’s 60-year-old son, Thomas Markle Jr., is implicated in the alleged offenses. While investigators treat him strictly as a person of interest rather than a formal suspect at this stage, officials noted that indicators point toward potential involvement.
“There are signs that point that the son is involved in the crime as well but only as a person of interest so far, hindi pa siya treated as suspect,” Remulla declared.
Investigators are following up on witness accounts reporting that underage girls were allegedly brought to the younger Markle’s residence in Cebu.
“Kasi may witness kami na underage girls are being brought to his house and we are following it up,” Remulla confirmed.
According to Remulla, the ongoing probe is roughly halfway complete, with additional findings anticipated by the following week. To trace the ownership of six mobile phones containing imagery of minors originating from the United States, local law enforcement has requested assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to check if the SIM cards are registered under Markle Sr.’s name.
Addressing questions regarding the younger Markle—who remains in Cebu—Remulla explained that his status as a person of interest stems partly from his decision to surrender devices, alongside witness statements describing suspicious activity observed through his windows.
“So sabi niya nag titiktok lang daw siya but we looked at his Tiktok account wala naman underage girls na lumalabas doon so he is a person of interest,” Remulla emphasized.