MANILA: Philippine police are investigating a laptop found alongside images of child abuse at the former home of Meghan Markle's estranged father, with "full results" expected in a week, the country's interior minister told AFP.
Thomas Markle, whose daughter is married to Britain's Prince Harry, had been living in Cebu in the Philippines until reportedly returning to the United States earlier this year.
Philippine interior minister Jonvic Remulla told AFP the country planned to take "appropriate legal actions" against Markle – who has denied all claims of alleged offending – if sufficient evidence was found.
"The Philippine National Police (PNP), upon the reports of the son, inspected the former home of a certain Mr. Thomas Markle," Remulla said in a text message sent late Saturday. "Found were a trove of child pornography materials as well as a laptop."
"The laptop is currently going under forensic investigation and we will have the full results in one week," Remulla said.
"The PNP will coordinate with their counterparts to locate and take appropriate legal actions against Mr. Markle if found that there is sufficient evidence to charge him."
British tabloid the Sun first reported last week that Markle's son, Thomas Markle Jr., had discovered the child abuse images while going through boxes found in his father's former home.
On Friday, Meghan Markle said she was "deeply distressed" by accusations her father had possessed images of child abuse, adding she had blocked contact between him and her children over previous "troubling and disturbing" allegations.
After the reports, Meghan said that in 2018 she had seen a letter sent to London's Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection making similar accusations.
"It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father, and I was given assurances that these were being investigated," she said in a statement.
London's Metropolitan police said it had passed on the information to the royal couple but did not share it with other law enforcement agencies.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry left Britain and quit royal duties in 2020 amid a bitter royal family feud.
They made an unexpected return with their children to live in the United Kingdom in August.--AFP
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