The alleged Philippine-based operations and connections of the late convicted American offender Jeffrey Epstein must be looked into by the House of Representatives.

With this, House Assistant Minority Leader Gabriela Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago, together with her fellow members of the Makabayan bloc, filed House Resolution (HR) 762 to conduct an investigation into the matter.

The resolution seeks 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 noted.

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 raise concerns about possible regulatory gaps and the risk of the country being used as an operational hub for activities connected to transnational criminal networks.

“Bilang mga mambabatas, kailangan natin siguraduhin na ang ating mga batas at inter-agency coordination ay nakasasapat upang proteksyunan ang mga kababaihan at mga bata mula sa iba’t ibang porma ng pang-aabuso, online man o offline,” Elago said.

(As legislators, we must ensure that our laws and inter-agency coordination are sufficient to protect women and children from various forms of abuse, whether online or offline.)

“Sa puntong ito, kailangan ng maagap at masinsin na imbestigasyon upang paunlarin ang ating mga batas lalo’t ang Pilipinas ay nananatiling ‘global hotspot ng online sexual abuse and exploitation of children’," she added.

(At this point, a prompt and thorough investigation is needed to strengthen our laws, especially since the Philippines remains a ‘global hotspot of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children'.)

Epstein died on Aug. 10, 2019 at the age of 66. He was found unresponsive in his jail cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Gabriela reaffirmed its call for stronger safeguards to ensure that the Philippines does not become complicit—directly or indirectly—in crimes that victimize women and children worldwide.