THE Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO-7) will investigate reports of the continued recruitment of minors into a group called True Brown Style (TBS), which has been described as a criminal gang, following a statement by Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
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Police Lieutenant Colonel Rolan Aliser, PRO-7 spokesperson, said they had yet to receive reports from police stations across Central Visayas of any recorded incidents involving TBS members.
However, Aliser said the group could potentially reach Cebu, considering its urban areas and large population.
He added that recruitment could easily be carried out online, prompting the police to begin monitoring information about the group.
“So far, we have no recorded incidents involving TBS in which they were identified as the culprits. We also have no incidents here involving minors who claimed to be TBS members,” Aliser said.
Aliser acknowledged receiving reports of brawls involving young people in Basak Pardo and along Imus Road in Barangay T. Padilla. However, the individuals involved were not identified as TBS members.
In response, PRO-7 directed its lower units to conduct further investigations, build cases and strengthen intelligence monitoring to determine the group's presence and activities in Cebu.
Earlier, Remulla told members of the media during an ambush interview at the Cebu Provincial Capitol that authorities had already identified TBS members in Cebu.
“There are. We have already identified some here,” Remulla said.
TBS reportedly originated in California, United States, about 25 years ago before reaching the Philippines as a small group.
Its initiation practices reportedly involve instructing recruits to rob people, assault other young people and steal from convenience stores.
Aliser urged parents to monitor their children's cellphone use, including the content they view and the groups they join, to protect them from potential harm. (AYB)