MANILA — The Progressive Makabayan bloc filed a resolution at the House of Representatives seeking an investigation into alleged Philippine-based operations and connections of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In a report, it said that the House Resolution No. 762 directs the committees on public information and women and gender equality to hold a legislative inquiry on reports that Epstein employed a Philippine-based team to erase alleged criminal activity from the web.

“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,” the resolution read.

“The possible intersection between a known international sexual exploitation offender and Philippine-based firm, regardless of whether such services were directly involved in abuse, necessitates careful legislative and policy scrutiny by the House of Representatives to ensure that no regulatory or enforcement gaps expose Filipino women and children to exploitation, grooming, coercion, or trafficking,” it added.

The resolution, filed by Gabriela Rep. Sarah Jane Elago, Kabataan Rep. Renee Louise Co, and ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, seeks to uncover the full nature, scope, and duration of Epstein’s activities and networks within the Philippines. It also aims to identify Filipino agencies or service providers employed by Epstein or his associates.

Lawmakers said the inquiry should also look into alleged media manipulation and reputation management conducted from the Philippines to shield Epstein from accountability, and recommend measures to tighten regulations, enhance oversight, and impose stricter penalties.

According to documents from the US Department of Justice, Al Seckel allegedly helped Epstein outsource a firm in the Philippines to conceal the financier’s alleged crimes online by removing negative links and promoting favorable ones. Seckel, who is married to Ghislaine Maxwell’s sister, told Epstein in a 2010 email:

“Google suggests has gotten rid of two negatives … jeffry epstein jail and one jeffrey epstein pedophile … another thing I’ve had the Philippine work on since day one.”

Seckel also said in another email: “Our group in the Philippines is building links and links to our sites, pseudo sites, and the other Jeffrey Epsteins of the world.”

The cover-up involved creating multiple websites emphasizing Epstein’s work in science and sports. “Wikipedia was an important victory, as it will always be at the top of the search engine results. Now the head lines do not mention convicted sex offender or pedophile. Instead, Philanthrophic work, Epstein Foundation, Promotion of Scientists,” Seckel wrote on December 16, 2010.

Epstein was arrested in 2019 for trafficking and abusing underage girls in the US and abroad and died in jail later that year while awaiting trial.