A digital clean-up trail is now leading straight to Manila. Lawmakers want to know whether a Philippine-based team helped Jeffrey Epstein scrub his online record. The Makabayan bloc filed House Resolution 762 demanding a formal inquiry.
The move follows newly released U.S. documents that describe coordinated reputation management tied to the Philippines. The House committees on public information and women and gender equality will take the lead.
On Feb. 4,Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Elago,KABATAAN Rep. Renee Co, andACT Teachers Rep.Antonio L. Tinio urged a full review of Epstein’s local links. They aim to map the scope, duration, and beneficiaries of any Philippine-based work. They also want to identify agencies or service providers that may have been hired by Epstein or his associates.
According to emails cited fromThe United States Department of Justice files, Epstein’s associate Al Seckel discussed outsourcing “Philippine work” as early as 2010. In a Dec. 7, 2010 message, Seckel told Epstein that Google results for “Jeffrey Epstein pedophile” were being suppressed.
Another October 2010 email described building networks of “pseudo sites” and links to reshape search rankings. Seckel also celebrated changes to Epstein’s Wikipedia page, noting that it shifted away from “convicted sex offender” toward philanthropy.
Lawmakers argue that such activities could mask exploitation and create regulatory blind spots. The resolution frames the issue as both a digital governance and public safety problem. It calls for scrutiny of media manipulation, reputation management, and online cleaning operations conducted from the Philippines.
Meanwhile, the House wants to recommend tighter rules, stronger oversight, and stiffer penalties to prevent the country from being used as a hub for sexual exploitation, trafficking, or financial crimes.
The inquiry would examine whether existing laws failed to detect or deter cross-border operations. It would also assess how Philippine digital infrastructure might be misused by foreign offenders.
Epstein was arrested in 2019 on sex trafficking charges and died in a New York jail while awaiting trial.
