Interior Secretary Juanito “Jonvic” Remulla holds a press conference at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Tuesday, August 26, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Thursday stood by his order to crack down on members of the True Brown Style (TBS) gang, despite the group’s objection to what it described as a generalization that all its members are involved in criminal activities.
Remulla said he was convinced that TBS recruits children as young as 14 to 15 years old and grooms them to engage in criminal activities.
According to Remulla, TBS originated in California, United States, and reached the Philippines about 25 years ago as a small group before evolving into what authorities now describe as a criminal syndicate.
He said the group is composed largely of members in their late teens and early 20s and has established a presence in all local government units in Metro Manila and in 78 of the country’s 83 provinces, mostly in urban centers.
"Huhulihin ko talaga [sila]. For all those who groomed children to be criminal, huhulihin ko talaga 'yan," Remulla told reporters in a chance interview during the 33rd anniversary celebration of the Philippine Public Safety College in Pasay City.
"We have the list. We know who they are," he added. "We will make public kung sino sila."
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In a statement, TBS said the allegations amounted to a nasty generalization.
"Hindi lahat ng may TBS sa pangalan, kulay, o affiliation ay kriminal. Hindi lahat ng TBS members pare-pareho ang ginagawa. Marami sa amin ay professionals, workers, parents, business owners, at ordinaryong mamamayang sumusunod sa batas," it said.
"Marami ring TBS members ang tahimik na tumutulong sa kanilang communities, sumusuporta sa kapwa, at gumagamit ng kanilang oras at resources para sa mga taong nangangailangan," the group added.
Remulla dismissed the statement as "cosmetic attempts."
"That’s their version of the truth," he said. "Kahit si Atong Ang, namimigay ng bigas noong pandemic, 'di ba? A little good doesn’t distinguish the bad that you do, 'di ba? Hindi ganon 'yon. Puwede tayong mag-feeding program araw-araw pero kung nagnanakaw naman sa gabi eh balewala rin. One has come with the other."
Remulla said he was open to dialogue with TBS but stressed that any such engagement should include a commitment to stop what he described as the group’s nefarious activities.
Philippine National Police chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the TBS would be investigated.
"We are looking into this group, into this gang," he said. "We are looking into each and every organization or gang na 'yan not only here in Metro Manila, outside Metro Manila and particularly Regions 3 and 4, and the rest of our regions."
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