Philippine authorities have accused the United Kingdom of refusing to share access to its sex offenders register, a move they say hinders efforts to prevent known child predators from entering the country. Officials in the Philippines are seeking greater cooperation from the UK to identify and flag sexual offenders before they arrive, amid concerns over the country’s ongoing battle against online child exploitation.
Barbara Mae Pagdilao-Flores, executive director of the National Coordination Centre Against Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children in the Philippines, highlighted the lack of an automatic warning system that could alert Philippine authorities when registered offenders from countries including the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands plan to travel there. The reluctance to share such data is reportedly based on privacy considerations.
Pagdilao-Flores also pointed to the growing problem of suspicious financial transactions linked to child sexual abuse. The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) of the Philippines found that accounts in the city of Cebu received the highest volume of flagged transactions originating from overseas, particularly from the US, UK, and Australia. According to the AMLC, there were 13,123 flagged payments valued at approximately £772,000, with over 10,000 transactions worth around £716,000 sent specifically from British accounts. The increased use of digital payment platforms, or e-wallets, in the Philippines has further facilitated the flow of these funds.
The move to seek the UK sex offenders register comes in the wake of a high-profile investigation involving Thomas Markle Sr, the father of the Duchess of Sussex, who has been scrutinized by Philippine authorities over allegations of possessing child sexual abuse material. Markle Sr, who resided in Cebu early in 2025 before returning to the United States for medical treatment, denies the allegations. Philippine investigators are analyzing digital evidence reportedly discovered by Markle’s half-brother.
Pagdilao-Flores expressed frustration over the current system, which relies on offenders self-reporting their travel plans. “Sometimes that is too late and they come into the country,” she said. She argued that access to offender registries would enable Philippine authorities to proactively monitor and prevent suspected individuals from entering.
In the UK, registered sex offenders are required to inform police when traveling abroad, and information on higher-risk individuals may be shared internationally through Interpol channels. Tim Wright, deputy director of the National Crime Agency’s child sexual abuse team, acknowledged that some UK nationals travel overseas to exploit children or pay intermediaries for live-streamed abuse. He noted that thousands of small payments totaling between $20 and $50 are sent annually from the UK to the Philippines for such illicit online “shows.”
Wright commended efforts within the UK financial sector to identify and disrupt these transactions, stressing the commitment of banks and payment platforms to prevent exploitation. “They don’t want these transactions on their platforms,” he said.
The UK Home Office responded that data sharing on violent and sexual offenders is managed by police forces in coordination with international partners. “Strong arrangements are in place to share relevant information with international partners,” the department stated, without providing further details on cooperation with the Philippines.