Philippines opens probe into Thomas Markle

The Department of Justice in the Philippines has opened an investigation into Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. The probe concerns allegations that the octogenarian American national possessed child sexual abuse materials at his home in Cebu province.

In a statement sent to CBS News on Friday, Meghan Markle described herself as deeply distressed by the reports. She stated that she first learned of the allegations in 2018. According to her account, a letter containing the claims was sent to the Metropolitan Police and the Royalty and Specialist Protection unit in the United Kingdom that year.

The duchess said the police shared the letter with her and provided assurances that the matter was under investigation. However, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police noted that the force is not currently investigating Thomas Markle. The Met said it is conducting internal inquiries to confirm whether its officers helped pass on the 2018 letter.

The current probe began after Thomas Markle Jr. reported his father to Philippine authorities. The Daily Mail reported on Friday that the younger Markle found child abuse materials in storage boxes at the family home. He reportedly discovered the files after switching on an old cell phone while his father was in the United States receiving treatment for a stroke and blood clot.

Thomas Markle Jr. is said to have initially reported the discovery to an FBI hotline, the National Center for Exploited and Missing Children, and Pennsylvania state police in July. He filed the formal report with Philippine authorities on Thursday.

In response to the allegations, Thomas Markle Sr. denied the claims through The Daily Mail. He stated, 'I have never downloaded anything like that in my life,' and called the accusations 'sick lies.'

Meghan Markle also addressed her estrangement from her father in the statement. She explained that she chose to limit contact to protect her children. 'I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications' distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason: to protect them,' she wrote. The Philippine News Agency confirmed on Friday that the department's anti-trafficking task force is handling the case.