Did You Know? The Philippines Shows Up Over a Thousand Times in the Epstein Files

Trigger warning: This article includes mentions of sexual abuse and cannibalism.

Deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is back in the spotlight after the release of new documents detailing his atrocious crimes. Among them were information about the alleged dismembering of babies and cannibalism that he and his circle took part in, as relayed by an anonymous and unverified source to the FBI in 2019.

As netizens take apart the papers, known on the internet as the Epstein Files, page by page, it’s been discovered that the “Philippines” was mentioned in the documents 1,078 times. The word “Filipino” also appeared 126 times in the three-million page revelation.

It’s public knowledge that Epstein infamously surrounded himself with prominent and wealthy personalities, some of whom were complicit in or joined him in his indecent activities. But what most don’t know is that the disgraced financier also kept around a number of Filipinos.

Any mention of the Philippines in the Epstein Files almost always pertained to procuring house help, including setting up job interviews. The documents revealed that his mansion in New York as well as his ranch in Mexico were managed by Filipinos.

One paragraph talked about their duties in Little St. James, the island where Epstein took most of his victims and sold them to acquaintances looking for sexual favors. It was mentioned that their “primary responsibilities were to have the house ready for the arrival of either Epstein or Maxwell,” his accomplice, and their “guests.” They had to make sure the house was “stocked with food, beverages, and fresh flowers.” They were also expected to arrange the transportation of Epstein and his purported victims.

While Epstein seemed to trust his Filipino “helpers,” they were often spoken about in a demeaning and lowly manner in the documents. One email correspondence called a certain “Gertrude” “mean, cold, and nasty.” Another acquaintance offered Epstein the service of a 50-year-old Filipino male whom they would only pay $20 an hour. A number of the Filipinos names, some with their full IDs and photos published, were also left exposed in the files, while the names of many notable and rich figures were redacted and blacked out.

Among the Filipinos were Jojo and Jun-Lyn Fontanilla, who were first named in 2019 after their photos with Epstein and his famous house guests surfaced online. The couple worked in Epstein’s estate in the U.S. during the 1990s, where they took photos with the likes of Sarah Ferguson, her ex-husband, the former Prince Andrew, and former U.S. President Bill Clinton.