Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Senator Loren Legarda is set to file a resolution to direct law enforcement agencies to look into the alleged network of convicted American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in the Philippines.Epstein allegedly hired a Philippine-based team to clean up his criminal activity on the internet.Legarda stood in the plenary on Tuesday to co-sponsor the Committee Report for Senate Bill 1819 or the Expanded Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM) Act.She said the bill is timely, especially with the discovery that Epstein supposedly had a network in the Philippines in 2010.“I, together with my colleagues, will file a resolution to ask the Department of Justice and the NBI, perhaps the Committee on Women, to look into this and I will file that resolution because that is very recent, 15 years ago, and we already had the anti-trafficking laws then,” Legarda said.“We must see because they even work with a public relations company to cleanse their image. Who is that? I’m sure meron yan NBI at anong mga network ang ginagamit dito? Hindi naman yan sex network lahat, iba ang front, negosyo, ibang ibang mga sektor,” she added.Legarda also wants to look into possible organizations or syndicates that Epstein might have worked with.<div>SENATE BILL 1819</div>In her sponsorship speech, Hontiveros said they expanded the definitions in Senate Bill 1819 to match today’s technology.“Child sexual abuse or exploitation materials will now include computer-generated, digitally altered, or synthesized content. Kahit wala nang aktwal na batang ginamit sa paglikha ng imahe, kung ang intensyon ay sekswal at mapang-abuso, krimen pa rin iyon. This closes the dangerous gap created by AI-generated abuse,” Hontiveros explained.The bill will also criminalize sexual extortion, raise the responsibility of the private sector, strengthen domestic and international cooperation, and change the offenders registry into the Philippine Child Sex Offenders Registry.“This measure gives our law enforcers sharper tools, our regulators clearer authority, and our children the protection they deserve in a digital age,” Hontiveros said. “Para sa mga batang walang boses, tayo ang dapat magsalita. Para sa mga batang hindi kayang ipagtanggol ang sarili, tayo ang dapat kumilos.”

Epstein allegedly hired a Philippine-based team to clean up his criminal activity on the internet.

Epstein allegedly hired a Philippine-based team to clean up his criminal activity on the internet.

Legarda to file resolution seeking investigation on Epstein’s alleged network in PH

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Legarda to file resolution seeking investigation on Epstein’s alleged network in PH

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 10, 2026 06:21 PM PHT

Read More:

Senate

Jeffrey Epstein

child abuse

child sexual abuse

Loren Legarda

Risa Hontiveros

Senate Bill 1819

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