DILG Sec. Jonvic Remulla —Inquirer photo/Niño Jesus Orbeta
MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said on Wednesday that they have started gathering information on members of the criminal group, True Brown Style (TBS), which has become a national problem for authorities.
The group, according to Remulla, is largely composed of members in their late teens and early 20s. They recruit children as young as age 14 or 15 and groom them for criminal activities.
“Of the 83 provinces, I think they are present in about 78. Some are large, while others are smaller. They are mostly concentrated in urban centers,” he said in an ambush interview.
“Now, as part of their recruitment, before you can join the group, you have to rob a convenience store at gunpoint,” Remulla added.
The head of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said the government stepped up its monitoring of the group after authorities observed that while most crimes declined following the implementation of the Safer Cities program, robbery cases increased.
“TBS started 35 years ago in California. It came to the Philippines 25 years ago, but it was small back then. Now, they have become radicalized,” Remulla said.
He urged parents to monitor their children’s activities, including checking their phones, who they communicate with and keeping a lookout for who may be influencing or shaping their minds.
“It is unacceptable for young people to become gang leaders. Parents should be responsible—look after your children and keep an eye on them. But this is unacceptable. We will get you. We will get all of you,” he said, referring to TBS members.
Early intervention
The Philippine National Police, for its part, said it is stepping up efforts to detect and prevent the recruitment of minors into criminal groups.
“If a young person is being drawn into criminal activity, the earlier the family, school, community and police can recognize it, the more opportunities we have to intervene and put that young person back on the right path,” PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement.
“We want our police units to be present, informed, and coordinated enough to act at the right time—especially when young people may be at risk of being influenced or exploited,” he added.
Police units were also encouraged to work more closely with schools, local government units, barangay officials, parents and other community stakeholders to identify possible signs of youth recruitment, exploitation or involvement in criminal activities.