MANILA, Philippines — Philippine authorities are investigating the possible involvement of Thomas Markle Jr. in a case involving thousands of explicit images and a video allegedly found in digital devices belonging to his father, American director Thomas Markle Sr.
In a media interview at Camp Crame on Thursday, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said investigators are treating the younger Markle as a person of interest (POI) after receiving information that minors were allegedly brought to his residence in Cebu.
Remulla stressed that Markle Jr. is not a suspect as authorities continue to validate the information. “There are signs that point to the son being involved in the crime as well, but only as a person of interest, so far, he is not treated as a suspect,” he said.
He said around 7,500 photographs and one video depicting the alleged sexual abuse of underage boys and girls of Asian, Latina and European descent as well as Filipino-looking victims were discovered in the older Markle’s devices. Some of the children in the video were estimated to be only 10 to 11 years old.
The investigation began after Markle Jr. discovered the materials while searching for a cellphone at a friend's house in Cordova, Cebu, where his father's belongings had been left. He subsequently turned over the digital devices to authorities.
Remulla described the recovered materials as among the most disturbing cases he had encountered, but said investigators have yet to establish whether the devices and contents indeed belonged to Markle Sr.
The elder Markle, father of Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, lived in a high-rise apartment in Cebu City from January 2025 until May 2026. He returned to the United States in May for medical treatment and a prosthetic limb after suffering a severe blood clot in late 2025 that led to the amputation of his left leg below the knee.
Authorities are also seeking assistance from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation in determining the ownership of six mobile phones that originated from the US. Remulla said investigators expect to obtain developments in the case in the coming days as they continue examining the recovered devices and validating information on the possible involvement of the younger Markle.
