MANILA, Philippines – Sinimulan na ng Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) ang pangangalap ng impormasyon sa isang criminal group na ayon kay Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla ay naging problema na sa buong bansa.
Ayon kay Remulla, karamihan sa miyembro ng grupo ay nasa late teens hanggang early 20s, habang nagre-recruit din umano sila ng mga batang edad 14 o 15 at hinuhubog para sa 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,” ani Remulla.
“Now, as part of their recruitment, before you can join the group, you have to rob a convenience store at gunpoint,” dagdag niya.
Ayon kay Remulla, pinaigting ang monitoring sa True Brown Style (TBS) matapos mapansin ng mga awtoridad na habang bumababa ang karamihan ng krimen kasunod ng Safer Cities program, tumaas naman ang mga kaso ng robbery.
Sinabi rin ni Remulla na nagsimula ang TBS 35 taon na ang nakalipas sa California at nakarating sa Pilipinas 25 taon na ang nakalipas, ngunit maliit lamang noon ang grupo.
“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,” ani Remulla.
Hinimok niya ang mga magulang na bantayan ang aktibidad ng kanilang mga anak, kabilang ang paggamit ng cellphone, mga kausap at mga taong maaaring nakaimpluwensiya sa kanilang pag-iisip.
“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,” ani Remulla.
Samantala, pinaigting din ng Philippine National Police (PNP) ang pagtukoy at pagpigil sa recruitment ng mga menor de edad sa mga criminal group.
“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,” ani PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr.
“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,” dagdag niya.
Hinimok ang police units na makipagtulungan sa mga paaralan, LGU, barangay, magulang at iba pang community stakeholders upang matukoy ang posibleng recruitment, exploitation o pagkakasangkot ng kabataan sa criminal activities. RNT/MDS
