All signs point to Thomas Markle Sr being a “possible sex offender of the grossest kind” although a full forensic investigation will give a “definitive picture”, the Philippine interior minister has told the Guardian.
asserted
minister → point → Guardian
Authorities in the south-east Asian country are analysing digital images allegedly belonging to the estranged father of the Duchess of Sussex that were said to have been found at his former home in Cebu.
uncertain
that → analyse → Cebu
Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, reported to authorities last week that he had apparently discovered a stash of child sexual abuse images.
asserted
he → report → images
“In these cases where family disputes are mixed up, we have to consider all the angles,” said Jonvic Remulla.
asserted
Remulla → mix → angles
“Right now all signs point to a possible sex offender of the grossest kind.
asserted
signs → point → kind
We want to be sure before we release the findings.
asserted
we → want → findings
Remulla said a statement would be released once the data had been analysed, without giving a specific date.
asserted
data → say → date
“Please give us a week to determine the contents and to come up with a definitive picture,” he said.
asserted
he → give → picture
“We will release a statement then.”
asserted
We → release → statement
Markle Sr has denied possessing child sexual abuse images, telling the Daily Mail the accusations were “sick lies”.
asserted
accusations → deny → Mail
Philippine police are also investigating a laptop found at the home in Cebu where Markle Sr had been living until he returned to the US earlier this year.
asserted
he → investigate → US
In a statement given to Agence France-Presse, Remulla said the Philippine national police inspected Markle’s former home and found a “trove of child pornography materials as well as a laptop”.
asserted
police → give → materials
“The PNP will coordinate with their counterparts to locate and take appropriate legal actions against Mr Markle if found that there is sufficient evidence to charge him,” he said.
asserted
he → coordinate → him
Markle told the Mail the computers had not been in his possession since he left Mexico with his son in 2025 and moved to the Philippines “for a fresh start”.
asserted
he → tell → start
He said: “I’m shocked, I’m hurt and I’m very upset that my son is making these accusations against me.
asserted
son → say → me
I could never do what I’m being accused of.
uncertain
I → do → what
It’s the worst thing anyone could accuse me of.
uncertain
anyone → ’ → me
It’s just a bunch of lies.
asserted
It → ’ → lies
It’s sick.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
I have no idea why Tom is trying to destroy me with these lies.”
asserted
Tom → have → lies
Meghan has said she is “deeply distressed” over the allegations, which were first reported in the Sun.
asserted
which → say → Sun
Sher said she had broken off contact with her father to protect her children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five.
asserted
she → say → children
He has never met them.
asserted
He → meet → them
On Saturday, the Metropolitan police confirmed they gave a letter to Meghan in 2019 concerning “alleged offending” involving her father, but said it did not pass it on to other law enforcement agencies.
asserted
it → confirm → agencies
Scotland Yard is considering whether to refer itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to review its actions.
asserted
Yard → consider → actions
In a statement, a Met spokesperson said: “Following a thorough review of Met police systems and records, we have confirmed that in January 2019, we received a letter containing a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom.
uncertain
we → say → Kingdom
It was sent to the MPS (Metropolitan police service) Protection Command to raise concerns in relation to the security of the Duchess of Sussex.
asserted
It → send → Sussex
“The letter was reviewed and a decision was made that it should be passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness.
asserted
it → review → awareness
The details of the allegations in the letter were not shared with other law enforcement agencies.
asserted
details → share → agencies
“The MPS is reviewing the handling of this matter in 2019 and considering whether a referral to the IOPC is necessary to review our approach.”
asserted
referral → review → approach
In a statement on Friday, issued through her spokesperson, the duchess said: “I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed.
“
uncertain
who → issue → children
In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan police and Royalty and Specialist Protection.
asserted
letter → send → police
That letter was subsequently shared with me.
asserted
letter → share → me
It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated.
asserted
these → make → assurances
“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.
asserted
him → hope → them
I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families.
asserted
authorities → trust → families
“Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children.”
uncertain
priority → uncover → children
She later said she had misremembered the year the Met had contacted her, and confirmed it had been 2019, not 2018 as she said on Friday.
asserted
she → say → Friday
A spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex said: “In recalling events from more than seven years ago, without the benefit of a diary entry or contemporaneous record, it is understandable that she may have been mistaken by a few months.
uncertain
she → say → months
“If the MPS holds a time-stamped record confirming that the letter was reviewed in 2019, that should be treated as the accurate reference point for when it was received and shared with the duchess.”
asserted
it → hold → duchess
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
