Police in the Philippines have apologised to Meghan Markle's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jnr, after naming him as a "person of interest" in his father's child sex abuse investigation, it has been reported.
Juanito Victor Remulla, the Philippines' interior secretary, shared this week that the investigation into Meghan's father's alleged boxes of child sex images extended to his only son. He suggested that they had received reports that underage girls had been seen being taken to Thomas Markle Jnr's home in the Philippines.
Witness Testimony and Apology
Speaking at a press conference, Juanito said: "We had witnesses who testified that underage girls were being brought to his house, with ring lights, through the windows."
It has been reported that after the comment was made, officers in Cordova spoke to Rose Ann Gabuya, Thomas Markle Jr.'s fiancée, and others in his wider circle. A source has since spoken to The Sun, revealing that they have since apologised to Thomas Markle Jnr.
A source close to the case told The Sun: "The matter has been cleared up, officers were very apologetic."
Background to the Investigation
This comes just a few weeks after Thomas Markle Jnr reported his father to the FBI after uncovering alleged child sex images in his father's belongings in Cebu City.
Thomas Markle Snr was arrested and charged in the US over his alleged collection of child pornography and later appeared in court on Friday in Tampa, Florida, according to the United States Department of Justice. The 82-year-old was seen being wheeled out of his care home wearing handcuffs.
Shortly before his arrest, Mr Markle Snr had relocated to the senior-living home, which specialises in dementia care and costs an estimated £2,919 [$3,900] per month. Thomas Markle Snr denies all of the allegations against him.
Family Reaction and Legal Proceedings
Following his father's arrest, Markle Jnr was praised for his role in securing his father's arrest, saying he felt "vindicated". He told The Sun: "It's a huge relief, I feel vindicated because I've been under a lot of pressure this past few weeks. I was devastated to discover who my father really is and it has been an ordeal coming forward.
"I've spent hours and hours giving evidence to the police in the Philippines and providing detailed affidavits which have taken days. It has been incredibly stressful, but I'm pleased with the outcome. I'm just glad my father is being brought to justice."
US Attorney Bill Essayli has since said agents had seized about 78 items, including "slides, film negatives and books", in two Los Angeles storage units allegedly rented by Mr Markle. The items found are said to include "sexually explicit photographs of himself with prepubescent girls".
Speaking after her father's arrest, a close friend of the Duchess of Sussex reportedly told The Sun: "It is her sincerest hope that a full and thorough investigation will now help deliver justice for the victims." Meghan has been estranged from her father since 2018, the year that she married Prince Harry.
