ع
The Philippine National Police received four boxes of laptops, mobile phones, hard drives, dismantled computer units and videotapes from Thomas Markle Jr, according to a briefing by PNP spokesperson Colonel Allen Rae Co. The materials came from his father’s former residence in Cebu, where the younger Markle said he discovered the suspected content while searching for a phone. Co explained that investigators must establish the nature of any files, their origin, ownership and potential connection to offences before any charges can be considered.
A regional court issued the warrant allowing the Women and Children Protection Center to begin digital forensic analysis, the PNP reported. The examination process is expected to take up to one week, depending on the volume of data involved. Cebu Regional Prosecutor Graeme Elmido told the BBC that Thomas Markle Jr was adamant the claims should be investigated and that his father has to answer for them.
Thomas Markle Sr, who is 82 and currently in the United States, has rejected the allegations as “sick lies,” according to statements carried by the BBC and other outlets. The retired lighting director left the Philippines in May 2026 to seek medical treatment and is reportedly in a Florida rehabilitation centre learning to walk again after a leg amputation, the BBC reported. No charges have been filed at this stage as police work to confirm possession of any material during the relevant period and to identify possible victims.
The Duchess of Sussex addressed the matter in a statement released earlier this month after the initial claims surfaced. “I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed,” Meghan Markle said. She noted that a letter outlining troubling and disturbing allegations against her father was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection in 2018, and that she was given assurances those claims were being investigated.
Department of Social Welfare and Development figures for Central Visayas show 28 cases of trafficking and online sexual abuse or exploitation of children recorded in the first half of 2026, a SunStar report noted. Colonel Allen Rae Co said the PNP would pursue the investigation fully regardless of the nationality of anyone involved. The force has welcomed outreach from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, which expressed readiness to provide assistance through proper legal and diplomatic channels, according to a report in The Philippine Star.
Thomas Markle Sr had lived in the Philippines from January 2025 until his departure for medical care, PNP accounts show. The younger Markle contacted authorities immediately upon finding the materials and surrendered them to the Visayas field unit of the Women and Children Protection Center. The inquiry falls under the framework addressing online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, which the PNP said it takes extremely seriously.
