Philippine congress to investigate team involved in Epstein operations

Resolutions were filed in both the house of representatives and in the senate of the Philippines to identify the individuals or businesses linked in cleaning up the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's criminal history online.

The proposed inquiries intend to reinforce the country's adherence to its international human rights commitments.

House resolution

In a Facebook post, the Gabriela Women’s Party, together with the Makabayan Bloc, filed house resolution 762 to look into the alleged Philippine-based operations and connections of Epstein.

"There is a need to investigate this to determine the extent of Epstein's network within the Philippines, to identify any local individuals or entities that may have aided or benefited from his operations, and to assess vulnerabilities that allowed the Philippines to be used as an operational hub for the clean-up of the name of an international sex offender," stated in the resolution.

Senate probe

On the other hand, senator Loren Legarda has also recommended the upper house to conduct a full probe into the Epstein files.

"Our children must never be exposed to exploitation networks, whether here or abroad. The Epstein files reveal disturbing global operations, and we have a duty to ensure that the Philippines is not used as a platform for concealment or abuse," said Legarda in a statement.

What are Epstein files?

Epstein files are materials released by the US department of justice, including testimonies, emails, and communications related to Epstein's global operations.

Among these documents are email exchanges between Epstein and Al Seckel, indicating that the former hired a team based in the Philippines to manage and suppress damaging online information about his past.

In the 2010 correspondence, Seckel said the Philippines-based team was working to remove terms such as “jail” and “pedophile” from Google search suggestions linked to Epstein’s name.

"When the google bots hit our sites around the 12th, all other Jeffrey Epstein sites we have been promoting will kick in and we should see some real positive results," according to the email.

Epstein was arrested in 2019 on charges of sex trafficking involving underage girls in the US and overseas. He died in custody later that year while awaiting trial.

Seeking accountability

With both chambers of congress moving to investigate, lawmakers aim to find out the truth and hold the responsible people or companies accountable.

Moreover, the move aims to determine any policy gaps to keep the country safe and to prevent similar activities in the future.