CEBU CITY — No Filipinos appeared in the alleged child sexual abuse materials that the police recovered from digital devices linked to Thomas Markle Sr., the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.
Major General Wilson Asueta, assistant director for Investigation and Detective Management of the PNP, disclosed the initial findings during a press conference in Cebu on Tuesday.
Asueta said the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit Central Visayas (RACU 7) identified several files containing alleged child sexual abuse and exploitation materials during its initial forensic examination.
"Initially those materials or videos examined, based from RACU-7, they are not from here..., not here in the Philippines," he said.
Asueta said some of the recovered videos showed minors engaged in sexual activities, while other files contained explicit materials involving individuals who were not minors.
"There's a video that a female minor and male doing sexual activities. We can say that they are from foreign countries, Asian, Caucasian, no [one from] Philippines," he said.
Authorities have yet to identify the individuals in the recordings or establish whether Markle Sr. owned, possessed or appeared in any of the recovered materials.
The initial findings have also not established that the alleged abuse depicted in the videos occurred in the Philippines.
Markle Sr.'s son, Thomas Markle Jr., turned over the devices to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking on Oct. 23, 2026.
Investigators examined nine mobile phones, three SD cards, five hard drives and one camera, along with other non-digital items, after securing a warrant to access the devices' contents.
The Women and Children Protection Center, RACU 7 and Police Regional Office Central Visayas (PRO 7) are conducting the investigation. PRO 7 has formed a task force to gather evidence and determine possible violations of Republic Act 11930, or the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act.
Asueta said investigators continue to examine the recovered files and verify information through field investigations.
Asueta confirmed that Markle Sr. had left the Philippines.
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation and other American authorities are conducting their own investigations in coordination with Philippine law enforcement agencies.
Markle Sr. moved from Mexico to Cebu in 2025 and reportedly lived with his son. He stayed in a high-rise apartment in Cebu City from January 2025 until May 2026.
