Philippine Police Find Suspected Material on Devices Under Review

Philippine police said a preliminary examination of electronic devices surrendered in Cebu City identified recordings that appeared to contain child sexual abuse or exploitation material. The forensic inquiry involving allegations against Thomas Markle Sr. was still under way at a November 3 briefing, and police said they had not established that the devices belonged to him or that he accessed or appeared in the recordings. No criminal complaint had been filed against him as of the briefing. Major General Wilson Asueta, a senior Philippine National Police official, said the recordings initially examined appeared to involve people from outside the Philippines. Police said they had not identified Filipino victims at that stage. The findings remain preliminary, and investigators have not established where the recordings were made or who stored them. The equipment being examined comprises nine mobile phones, three SD cards, five hard drives and a camera. Thomas Markle Jr. reportedly turned the items over to Philippine authorities. Police obtained a warrant to examine their computer data and have assembled specialist investigators to assess the files and determine who controlled or...