The Makabayan Bloc on Wednesday filed House Resolution 762 to conduct an investigation into the alleged Philippine-based operations and connections of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
House Assistant Minority Leader Sarah Jane Elago of Gabriela Women’s Party filed the resolution to uncover the extent of reported activities involving individuals and entities in the Philippines allegedly engaged by Epstein and his associates, particularly in relation to digital reputation management and online operations following his conviction.
“Any indication that Philippine-based individuals or firms may have been used to shield or assist a known international sex offender demands serious scrutiny,” Elago said.
“The Philippines has long faced vulnerabilities in trafficking, online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, and other forms of gender-based violence. We cannot allow our labor force or institutions to be exploited in ways that may indirectly enable or conceal crimes against women and children,” she added.
According to reports cited in the resolution, email exchanges from the so-called “Epstein Files” allegedly indicate that a Philippines-based team was engaged to perform backend digital work and reputation management services aimed at improving Epstein’s online image.
These revelations raised concerns about possible regulatory gaps and the risk of the country being used as an operational hub for activities connected to transnational criminal networks.
“As legislators, we must ensure that our laws and inter-agency coordination efforts are adequate to protect women and children from various forms of abuse, whether online or offline,” Elago said.
“At this point, prompt and thorough investigation is needed to develop our laws, especially since the Philippines remains a ‘global hotspot of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children,’” the lawmaker noted.
