Are there American Style Gangs in The Philippines?
I’ve seen signs of Bloods and Crips when I lived in Talisay City which is a suburb just south of Cebu City. What kind of signs? Within a block or two of 
each other I saw the words “Crips” and “Bloods” written on the walls.
There was other graffiti but it wasn’t of the quality that I often saw in the USA. In Memphis, there was some really beautiful graffiti and some of it was gang related. I once passed by one area where one of the Asian gangs were painting a beautiful dragon on a wall. The city soon sand blasted that off the wall.
I asked some of the Filipino I knew if they were really Bloods and Crips and all of them told me they thought it was wanna-bes. I hope so but I’m not so sure.
Republic Act 9344
There is a law in the Philippines that makes it practically impossible to prosecute minors. Republic Act 9344 doesn’t quite do that, but its application in Cebu has effectively resulted in the government taking that position.
Recently there was a young girl, 13, gang raped and then killed. All but one of the members of this group were not held by police. You can read that shocking story by clicking here. This sounds like an American style gang in the Philippines to me!
It seems to me that RA 9344 would set up a perfect breeding ground for organized crime. There are laws to protect kids from such organized crime syndicate bosses but it seems to be hard to prosecute the people that use children to commit their crimes for them.
The kids don’t have any reason to talk about who they work for as they can’t be prosecuted. If they do talk, what kind of jeopardy would they put themselves or their families in? Probably substantial.
Large Filipino Population In California
It is my understanding that there is a large population of Filipino living in Southern California. There are many gangs in south California. The leaders of gangs would be in a position to find someone willing to return to the Philippines with the intent of starting local gangs.
One thing that might help to slow the growth of gangs is that Filipino families, often have strong ties. I don’t know if this holds as true in Manila as it does in the provinces. Still, the allure of flashy Filipino with lots of money will be very appealing to many. I’d like to have a Corvette or Hummer myself. Tempting bait for recruiters to use.
It would be a shame to see the growth of gangs with American ties to see growth here. Some say they are already here. I don’t know that to be true but there is some evidence of that. I found someone on YouTube promoting the Crips and Bloods. I doubt a gang member would promote both though?
I sure hope the Philippine government has this under control.
Tagged with: Living In The Phlippines • Philippine Government
Filed under: Crime In The Philippines
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Interesting.
When I first visited her homeland with my wife, in 2000, I was a gang prosecutor in Texas. I saw signs of gang activity throughout stretches of Manila — very blatant stuff. But everyone I talked to said “we don’t have gangs in the Philippines.” I guessed what I was seeing was California-style banging rather than Chicago (Gangster Disciples,etc.) from the graffiti. There was a huge spray painting of “Brownside 13″, indicating that the Brownside gang bore allegiance to South Cali in their style (flashy and violent) instead of the more traditionally subdued North Cali “14″ style (dangerous but much more intent on stacking the Benjamins than making stars). I saw other gang zones marked up and even a “conflict wall” between two gangs, which was the cement wall of a bridge that was mostly one gang’s graffiti on one side and the other on the other side, together with the standard RIPs commemorating those who took a bullet or a blade for the gang and the standard cross-outs targeting who was next. I showed this to some people and explained it to them.
“But we don’t have gangs in the Philippines!” they laughed. “You’re paranoid.”
I looked into when I got back. Apparently, gang-banging in the PI got a huge boost when (in the wake of Crip-Blood wars of the 80s) the 1990s turned into a war on gangs in California. One of the tools was deporting any banger subject to deportation — which sent a lot of them to the Philippines. I found out that Brownside 13 actually started in LA, in fact.
But, fortunately, we don’t have gangs in the Philippines.
Something I didn’t mention in the article is that gangs are often referred to as Fraternities here but I THINK they are more home grown in nature.
I remember when Memphis police finally officially admitted there were gangs in Memphis. The rest of us knew it for the prior 10 years.
I’d say you’re in a much more informed position than most of us though. That there are gangs here is obvious. The papers refer to gangs all the time but not the bloods and crips style gangs. I talk of those because they are the more infamous though I recognize most of the names you mentioned.
Do they have ties with the US gangs? Are they as violent and uncaring about life?
It must be eerie to see your graffiti X out to indicate your next. I doubt that most of them would show it but they gotta feel it.
My girlfriend has corrected me when I used the word mafia in regard to the Philippines. I’ve seen the words “Philippine Mafia” in Western press but she tells me it is referred to as the “syndicate” here. She believe it is much more common in the larger cities than out in the provinces. I once scoffed at the idea that the beggars would be working for the syndicate but in the larger cities that is common.
The people that live here are usually pretty good at knowing what is going on but they are not always correct. It would make sense that a deported gang member would wish to carry on his lifestyle once back here and become a founder here. It seems they would be far more effective though if they had ties to the US.
Thanks for your insights, you’re in a better position than most of us to read the signs.
Hi Rusty &b Kurt, I’m reading Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh. It’s a memoir of South Californian Indian born Sociology Grad student in the Univ. of Chicago. It’s his gripping, fascinating tale of his brush w/ the local gang leader of Chicago’s Black Kings. Just a week ago, I was watching news & it featured a riot of about 20-30 youth. A resident captured in video from his mid rise apt the rioting w/c seemed to be going for several nights. I dismissed it as another mayhem in the south side of Chicago. Then I almost fell off my chair when it identified the location of the brawl which was about 4 blocks from where I live. Just recently too, I saw on Filipino channel a news about brawls in Quezon City. In the news, you would see the youth fighting in the middle of a busy street of QC–in full view of motorists, vendors, residents–with uncollected mountains of garbage. Apparently, the live footage of the fighting was taken by the news reporter. He was also able to interview the kids. Invariably, the fight stemmed from “nagkasamaan ng tingin” (Kids trying to be grown ups, copying grown up follies by getting offended when they thing they were given a bad stare or something),girls and right from the word of the youth interviewed, sometimes they fight becaus “trip-trip” ( or they feel like it)
I think there lies the difference between gangs in the Phil & gangs in the US or say Chicago. Chicago gangs seem impenetrable. No local news could visit their areas of work etc. My impression of gangs ( Phil style) is a group of kids. From what I’ve read of Chicago gangs, they are run by adults.
Hi Rus, I think the gangs there (I’m back in Oz now) may try to imitate the gangs from the US, or if they were deportees, they may find that in PI, if they don’t work, they don’t eat! So it will be interesting to know how many actually stay in one for years? but yeah, I have heard that if you want someting “taken care of” use an underage child.
That’s what I hear, imitations but it sounds as if they are doing some very excellent imitations on that graffiti and the deported folks can teach thee locals.
I’ve seen pics of Filipino that know the crips gang signs. Hard to know where they actually are when the pictures are taken though. Some of the pics certainly looked like the Philippines.
Crime does pay, that’s why people do it. The life span can be short though. I heard teens in Memphis that don’t expect to see 25.
The DSWD in the Philippines can hold children if deemed to be in their best interest. I think I figured out how this works. They can hold them on grounds that their development is in danger but not for breaking the law. It has to be in the name of protecting them. However they often takes these kids to regular schools with only the same supervision all the other students have and they disappear whenever they like.
I think they are in the Philippines. The US government denied it for years too.
The fratetnities you are talking about are legitimate college fraternaties that have been infiltrated by thugs. So they make a college fraternity like a violent gang.
No Tom, they call gangs fraternities in many cases. They don’t have Greek sounding names and they are not about Greek rituals.
The fraternities at colleges are totally different. They almost never have anything to do with colleges.
I did some more reading on this and it appears that the fraterntities on campus are also violent too. But they are not always associated with colleges.
Wiki on Fraternities in The Philippines
Yes that’s what I said.
Years ago they convinced the college administrations to allow members that were not students. Many have now been heavily infiltrated with thugs and even have turf wars between themselves. I don’t know that they are affiliated with any street gangs but that is what many of them have become.
The only reports I had read about involved a non-college group.
So I assumed the word was being used different here. Perhaps they’ve cleaned it up a bit. Would be easy to fix. Students only. Well, now that the cats out of the bag, it might take somet ime. Its a shame they allowed them to get to that state.
I don’t read the papers here as close as I use too but i’ve only seen frats that were nothing more than street games mentioned in the papers. I could have missed it though.
This sounds like two different phenomenon. I doubt any Philippine fraternity named itself using the distinctly South Central LA set of signifiers, “Brownside 13.” Anyway — as I said, Brownside 13 was a documented gang in LA in the late 90s.
Yeah but Tom was right, the fraternities at colleges have been known to become violent with each other. That’s sad. The hazing appears to be extra violent, not just the usual unwise stuff.
As for the LA Gangs, you’re the authority on that.
The Philippines has way of dealing with them though that the USA could never get away with. I don’t want to speak negatively about the way of the Filipino, it is there country, not mine. I’m glad the US follows the rule of law, at least more. Even though sometimes, there’s very little justice there. I don’t have any experience in criminal matters, thank God. I do have more than I like to admit in civil matters and I know there’s very little justice there. Instead its has too much too do with which lawyer can manipulate the system better. Its the law but the law is in too many cases, not fair. I’m sure you have seen it go both ways.
I never heard of Brownside 13, that I recall. I watch a lot of documentaries so It could have gone in one ear and out the other. Bloods and Crypts big in Memphis also so Asian gangs that I don’t know the names of.
PS before I left Memphis, I got a carry permit and a 45.
I like the .45. I live in a house in a suburb in Dallas, Texas, though, so with my permit I picked up a .40. Less stopping power but less likely to through-and-through and hit an innocent. CZ-75B chambered for .40, same basic frame used (licensed for manufacture under various names around Europe, the most common sidearm there, and the sidearm of the Israeli military under another license-name).
Ironically, it wasn’t prosecuting street gangs that caused me to pick it up, it was threats from white supremacist and “sovereign citizen” groups.
Man I hate that. You’re white?
It was very likely gangs that caused me to finally do it. I am a night owl and went to my Pak Mail box a couple of times late at night and got the daylights scared out of me. That was the final straw.
I had been thinking about it quite a bit. Even though I couldn’t have had my gun on me if I had breen a Va. Tech. That shooting caused me to think about it hard. I felt like it was my duty. I would have a hard time living through something like that and not having been able to react. I’d have an even harder time dying though something like that. LOL
I just had a cheap, heavy Rugar. It was said to be one of the most reliable around but felt like a brick in you hand. I can vouche for the brick. LOL I don’t remember the model number, had to leave it behind when I came to the Philippines. Foreigners can carry here but there area huge amount of paperwork to jump through and having to use it could go badly, even if justified.
Hi Rus, when I was going through University here in Oz, Fraternities were unheard of, and I believe it is still so. I was never approached to join one, and none of my friends at Uni heard of them either. Is this an American phenomenon copied by Filipinos? or copied from somewhere else?
When I was holidaying there recently, I heard of a young boy accidentally died after being put through hazing. For the life of me, I can’t understand why anyone would endure those torture just to belong to some group? And I bet some of the parents of these kids were probably slaving themselves in the middle east just to send them to college. And I don’t know why colleges tolerates these groups?
Death’s in the USA use to be way too common. Colleges cracked down on them in the late 70′s. Some boys in Mississippi died in the trunk of a car. Boys being boys that ended badly.
There is still hazing but most of the time now its making them do silly things. At Millsaps some frats had to stop and talk to a tree every time they passed it for their first year. Some certain tree in the center of the college. Stuff like that. Going through things like that does improve bonding. The US Navy SEALS got through BUDS training for example.
It is huge in the US. I didn’t have interest in it when I went to school but it would have been good to do. A great way to get to know people that will have your back for the rest of your life and many of them will become very wealthy. They were expensive and I was shy.
Girls have sororities, they are much the same but far less likely to get into serious mischief. Youngsters being what they are though, there’s always potential for trouble.
Its often referred to going Greek. Often full of snobs, depending on the Frat. Would have been fun, one of the many things I would like to have done over but I didn’t live on campus and that would ahve made it too expensive for me to do. Usually rich kids do it. Again, depending on the Frat and the school.
Hi Christine, fraternities have been a fixture in the universities. Sometimes, they are as old as the university itself. They exist to serve the academic interest of the students, to mould them into well-rounded citizens. Because it’s a competitive world, tension arises w/ fellow students belonging to different fraternities. Fraternities are nothing but greek sounding organizations. I have a first cousin who was stabbed by another rival frat student. That first cousin is anything but academic BTW. He just liked to be a part of the group. When I was 16, I befriended a girl who was in college and a lot older than me. She belonged to a particular sorority affiliated w/ a fraternity of course. I spent a lot of time w/ them. By the time, I could join fraternities, I already found it unappealing.
Thanks for the explanation. I must say, I got through my nursing course here in Oz, without having to join one. Aside from having to belong to a group (what’s wrong with plain old friendships anyway?) what benefits does it actually give to the student? i.e. will they pay for your tuition fee when Dad’s support money is late? etc, etc…
Where I went to school, the fraternities often touted their high GPA average among members as a reason to join. They would promote them on the idea that their members can help you with your college skills. The first year at Millsaps saw a lot of people wash out. The school I went to was all about academics though.. Sports was not a free ticket by any means.
The fraternities have and require members to live in the Frat house which is usually expensive. For that reason, they usually are composed of people that come from wealthy families, or at least well off and they are seen as “snobs” by many.
There were many good reasons to join, most humans do want and need to feel like they belong to a group. That’s one reason why gangs in the USA are doing so well. Kids often grown up in poor areas with only one parent, if that. The gangs give them a feeling of belonging and even love.
Hey Rusty — yeah, I’m white, but I was worth a lot of “points” (white supremacist groups have an old that gives you a certain number of points for who you kill, it’s been so long I can’t remember but I think at 250 you’re in their hall of fame or something). I was a prosecutor (points for that), I was a “race traitor” (married to an Asian, points for killing me on that), I was a “race polluter” (we had kids, points for that). But of course what really had them ticked off was I both prosecuted them and was getting good intel out of my sources. I was eight months ahead of enforcement on one key alliance, for example, which helped me back warrants when that time came.
I got the gun after my kids were threatened on a wire; that and several years studying martial arts.
I have to say, Crips and Bloods were a lot less stress prosecuting. They didn’t take everything so personal, it was all just business. I actually liked some of those guys. Sent them to prison because we just couldn’t have them running around robbing and killing folks, but they were kind of funny just to sit and talk to. The white supremacist guys? Not so much.
Geesh its a wonder how those guys could get out of their diapers with thinking like that. You’d have to be half ape these days to not know our blood lines are so kris-crossed it would be hard to “pollute” the gene more if we tried.
There is strong genetic evidence we call came out of Africa. There are studies going on now that re-enforce that.
When I was working, some of the black girls use to say to me “Rusty, are you sure you’re not black.” My reply was, I’m sure I’m part black.
Not sure why they asked me that.
They white supremisit often quote the Bible as a source for their beliefs, did they miss the part about Adam and Eve. Do they think Jesus was lily white? I sure don”t.
Oh well, trying to make sense out of Nazi thinking is pointless.
Hi! I’m an engineering student at the University of the Philippines, currently on my junior year. And, yes, I’m a true-blue Filipino.
This is an interesting read, to be completely honest. But it seems some people still misunderstand the contexts of gangs and fraternities here in the Philippines. I am an observer of all things “gangsta” back at my hometown in Laguna (go Google it, nice vacation spot BTW), and after doing some research majority of the so-called gangs and street fraternities were just complete rip-offs of the original crews back in the US.
I can’t say I’m an authority in gangs in the US, but I can say clearly that gang members here in RP try to emulate the style of famous gangs and mix some local “flavor” to it. Quite frankly, the result is a shameless rip-off which most of us call “baduy” (again, go Google it).
Local authorities have another opinion on them: gang and fraternity members and affiliates constitute the majority of juvenile arrests for murder, drug abuse and other misdemeanors. Drug abuse inside gangs is not something new, especially in poor urban areas where gangs tend to dwell and flourish. Some of them as young as seven years old are already affiliated with these juveniles, and are racking up crimes as much as adult criminals do.
Honestly, I don’t get the logic of joining one: to be frank you’re just wasting time dealing with those unscrupulous people. And now even college fraternities join the fray, having outlets in the University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo de Manila University and other private institutions. It seems the growth of gang-like groups continue to rise here in RP.
Last August 2007, Chris Mendez was killed by an initiation rite of a fraternity in UP Diliman. Other reports of killings surfaced in UP campuses and ADMU, even though the 1991 Anti-Hazing Law was implemented. It seems there is no stopping them now.
Whatever their intentions are, they’re up to no good.
I am living in the Phils for 15 monhs now and Im living in the province of Leyte… but today I was told about Gangactivities here in our province…
It scared the shit out of me that ppl let others burn them with a 5-peso-coin for 10 seconds just to be part of something…
The most scary part of it is that as a boy they have to clean up places of higher ranking members and as a girl they have to ‘entertain’ the guys… and they are proud of it becuz they are part of something!
Humans are very social animals. It is believed we will die without contact. Not have someone take care of us and nurture us as young children often leads to anti-social personality disorder. Put a monkey in a cage and leave it alone, it will go insane.
People will do most anything to be part of a group. Dress up crazy to be part of a group of fans is a tamer means of doing it. Bumper stickers, all kinds of way we do it.
Young kids, they become blood brothers. Find a kid that is alone and he is prey. I’m sure the gangsters feel like they are doing the other members a favor. As long as they are burning themselves, go to it.
The crime though, that’s a bigger concern. Pregnant babies is not good either.
I’m an OF in UPLB and I agree with Noel Manao. There’s no need to join in any fraternity/sorority. You don’t know, maybe your life is the payment in joining such group (exaggerating ^_^v ).
By the way, Rusty, thanks for posting this article. It’s really helpful for me. I’m writing a research paper about gangs in the Philippines.
“The US Style Gangs are NOW in the PHILIPPINES”!!!!!!!!!!
This is not a LIE!!! Dont Deny the Gang Problem in the Philippines before it’s too late. Gangs & Fraternities maybe used by the Politicians, Businessmen & Organized Crime Groups. Filipino Gangs are thriving in the Internet like Friendster, Facebook, Youtube, Myspace & etc.
Black, Asian & Hispanic Gangs like Bloods, Crips, MS 13, Southside, TRG, ABZ, Latin Kings, Gangster Disciples, Northside, & 18th St Gang are influencing the Philippines (Filipinas) by the Internet. Gangs & Frats in the Philippines maybe use in the Election Violence in the Philippines.
See also the Filipino Gangs & Frats by their mp3 & videos in Imeem & Youtube. At first, They are wannabe, But later on they will have connection to the blacks, Asians & Hispanics(Mexicans) in the United States.
Filipino Gangs are now in the Philippine & in the United States (Los Angeles, Calfornia)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cribs & Bloods?…., kinda like the boy scouts on Negros, sponsored by the Mayor, red shirts and blue shirts in dance compititions.
Wanna talk gangs, like grown-ups?
National Peoples Army — the armed wing of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines.
NPA is big. They broker the shabu trade between the ‘Other parties’ whom i shan’t name.
Nice people really, but most murders are shabu related so…, pay your debts?
You’d be suprised how deep the NPA are ingrained into the hinderland, waiting for the call to arms.
There’s a Captain in every barengey in the Viseyens regions. The communists try to maintain a shadow government in every province. The drug trade is a deal with Satan they don’t want but must control.
Election time is payola time. For the Haciendias the 2 or 4 year protection fee is setteled.
If you’re worried by kids in t-shirts with spray cans, well be afraid. Be very afraid.
Here is an article to gang activity in Cebu. From thee Bloods. Certainly not a bunch I’d like to run into.
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/186561/7-suspects-in-cebu-gang-rape-fall-report
Well, the more you read about gang activities in the Philippines, the more you realize how Duterte’s approach to controlling crime in Davao is the way to go. Gangs in Davao fear him. Of all the major cities in the Philippines, Davao is most likely the safest, all thanks for this due to the mayor’s efforts.
I came to see the ruling class there as hypocrites: they profess Christian values and at the same time indulge in massive corruption. The government tries to create the impression of being a humane institution, but it is nothing more than a golden model of a cleptocracy, with no interest in promoting public safety. Duterte is the only one who seems to be making a sincere effort to create a safe city for pinoys to live their lives. Many pinoys with whom I have spoken with have told me that their country does not lend itself to democracy and would do better under a benevolent dictator. Viva Duterte!
As a criminologist, I work with Children in Conflict with the Law in Cebu, so also gang members and there are other ways to fight criminality than killing these people or supporting the Davao Death Squad. By creating a gang to kill little criminals you only give the wrong example and create ‘ fear of crime’ in the community.
Lots of gangmembers had or having problems in their families, are abused or do not have any family anymore… if children don’t have guidance than there is more chance for them to make wrong decisions, How can they even make right decisions if even the government and the police, who are there to protect them, are corrupt!
They can change again, so at least give them a second chance.
Fight the core problem and invest in family guidance, livlihood training, reintegration programs and prevention. Before attacking the RA9344 maybe the government first have to implement it. Because 4 years after the implementation nothing would have changed yet without the help of NGO’s.
Anoniem, In the long run, violence will only create more violence. When the rule of law is not followed, one will never know when one might become the victim of a death squad. History is clear, oppression does not work, people will resent it. Eventually, it is replaced with a new oppressor.
Ow, I was shocked by this article. Hmm, Fraternities are groups govern by some politicians here in RP. There are also well-known celebrities and rappers who belongs to frats and gangs. If you will search, almost of the politicians in the Philippines are members of Frat/Soro. Some are known all over the world, Tau Gamma Phi, Tri Skelion – which I think is only one, really do not know though. But this people are all in College, when they finished their schooling, some high officials will help them enter the business or political world – they are the ones protecting some of the need-to-be-protected and should-not-be-down RP. Ow, I can’t tell you the details because I do not know such. My cousin is a member of sorority associated with frat. She’s a Phi Sigma Delta, she told me that being a neophyte – you should first think on what you would do in the future, be in the community or in politics and full pledge PSD. I saw her first initiation as a neo, her body was full of bruises, haha. When they are hazing, the neophyte should memorize all the rules or “bible”, dunno what you call about that ^__^, and after a month, they will haze you again to become a true member. That’s what I know.
And speaking of gangsters, I can clear some thoughts. I am a member of Bloods, Blood Down Posse in fact. Not all gangsters really do have to fight. Luckily, I was in a chapter of a set wherein I don’t have to risk my life. Here in the Philippines, there are two kinds of gangsters; the violent one and the one who wants peace. Violent gangsters are those who have guns and uses those to threaten lives or more worse is to kill. Some fight for their name. If you’ve watched a news here in the Philippines and the news is all about “gang rapes”, please do not easily believe on what the reporter is saying. Those “gang” are just syndicates who robs, rape and kill people’s life. Search for gangsters names here in RP, some are Bloods, Crips, True Brown Style and many more. When you enter bloods here, you will have a 30 seconds jamming – which means a 30 second of pure punch and hit and after that, female members will welcome you by slapping you in the face and men punch or kick you – not a hard thing, just only 30 seconds of putting your hands on your breast so that they will not get hit, lol! Some gangs goes by asking what you want, sarap o hirap – the latter was the one I just told, hirap is the jamming thing and sarap is the thing which you select members to have sex with – which I think was gone already. So, to sum it all, we are all receiving “hirap”.
Ahm, one thing more is that watch Pinoy Fliptop in youtube, those I think are gang members ^___^ BTW, we are all lie lowed now, we just rap for enjoyment and peace. All gangsters in Tondo, Manila are now in good terms with each other though we can’t erase some conflicts. We all sing for happiness, a way to reunite all Filipinos
Wow, information from the inside.
Syndicate or gang, doesn’t matter what you call them.
The gangs in Mandaue and Lapu Lapu are becoming more violent more and more hits happening there. I consider those two places very dangerous.
hi!i’ve read some of your comments so let me give you mine.truthfully there are lots of gangs here in the PI.the 1st gangs that i’ve known here since i was been once in a gang for couple of years was OPG (original pinoy gangsta)and OHPB original hiphop pinoy brotherhood then became TBS 13 true brown style.and yes there’s Brownside 13…and then lots of gangs blooms in every city even in every street trying to depend their own turfs like NSP(notorious south people),RAG(reckless asiatic gangsta),TST(temple street trese)the once who almost smoke our ass up.luckily for us those idiots were cowards not to fight us face to face instead they sprayed us with bullets while riding their cars.LLG(latin lords gangsta)24 oras.the once popular taguig youth gang who fired a bullet in the head to their rival gang.And many other gangs but these were the few that hit the popularity among us.that’s what we called it.Gangsta!…yeah!ever since my eyes open to its reality it is really a gang related things for the pinoy youth.everyone wants to rule.everybody wants to have their own turf.We idolised gangs from US especially BLOODS and CRIPS.But that was before…things change.you see pinoys love their families.When started to grow old we shift from a brutal to a family man…these gangs already laid low.I dont see news of gang related violences anymore…besides from what the PI calls the terrorists…
Hello Allen,
Thanks for the info. How did you get out of the gang?
In the USA it is next to impossible to get out. They don’t let people walk away just cause they don’t want that kind of life any more. Seems many die while they are still in the gang. Most don’t expect to see 25 years old. Those that do, are in prison or are usually running the gangs.
The like to say bleed in and bleed out. They usually have a brutal initiation to get in and to get out it is bloodier. I don’t think an American gangster could remain in his home town if he wanted out and had any hope of living.
I did know a boy that got out, not sure what it took. They tried for years to kill him.
allen dela cruz WOW I find this a very interesting topic to have you here is helpfull. What general area were these gangs in? What was the level of violence and crimes commited? Were the crimes mostly limited to drugs and defending your turf and beefs with rival gangs? Did you ever see or hear of crimes by gangs on regualr people or foreigners on a regular basis?
i’ve seen it all!whatever peeps say i’ve experienced it….gangs here in in the PI is different in the US aiight……..how did i get out?did i say i did???these gangs are to young to be compared to bloods n crips man…
Yes, I think you did say you got out.
You said that you were in a gang a couple of years ago and now that you’re older you’re more of a family man than brutal. That certainly sounds like you got out.
I really wondered if you could just walk away here.
if you dont believe me then just go ahead aiight!!!american style gangs or not!i think said enough…u just hve to open ur eyes man!dnt b blinded…evidences r scattered in the internet…u jst hve to google it…(in the US:DRUGS/GANGWAR/SEXTRADE ETC.)How d’yah think it will not come in here?Our gangs maybe diffrent from bloods/crips or ms-13…in some reasons but the things we’ve done in the past aint funny…dyou get me?!I dnt hve to give the details…If u still want some proof of these gangs…go to baguio city/tondo manila.just take a few days to learn things up.and email me if im lying to you..jst dont let ur self get hurt or get ur self locked up!you see!everything can b turned upside down if u know what i mean?
I didn’t say I didn’t believe you.
You said you were in a gang several years ago. To most that would mean you are no longer in one.
I just wondered how you got out.
I never said they wouldn’t come here.
I tend to stay away from the things you warned about. I don’t need to look for trouble and when you deal in those things, that’s what you’re going to find.
Right now, Mandaue and Lapu Lapu are hot spots for gangs. There are lot of shootings there. Two men on motorcycles drive up, shoot someone and drive off.
They always wear helmets at the shooting and are almost never found.
Someone tried to get me to meet them in the Lapu Lapu town plaza around 10pm a couple of months ago. I only said, no, I don’t wish to die tonight. Someone I didn’t know very well. I’m sure it was an attempted setup.
I’ve have to be insane to go there!
Many of the fraternities on campuses in the Philippines are also crime ridden and dangerous.
Hmm, the gangs you hear shooting and driving up motorcycles maybe are those syndicate – they don’t belong in a gang – they are just members of some senseless syndicate group. Filipinos call them gangs because like what in the US and in the other countries have done in the past years are like that – snatching, or whatever you may call it. Many years gangs implemented camaraderie here so maybe there is nothing more to think about since they are all matured and “you can change the people’s vision by changing yourself”.
Try to watch Fliptop in YouTube, many gangsters are into it. They express themselves by singing and rapping. There is a miracle here in Tondo, Manila wherein 2 well-known gangster group made an Independent Film which is the Tribu. You can never imagine that those groups are rivals, and enemies since childhood. But now they are the best group of friends.
Gangs – they have names, like west-side or latin/spanish names. (bloods, crips, TBS)
Frats/Soro – greek names, helps the politics.
Syndicates/Terrorists – are those you hear on the new (ex. budol-budol gang) but they are not gangsters. Who will name their gang group like that? ew! ahah
Err…Thank you ♥
stop watching you tube fool…and dnt be hatin!like you know everything…i,ve named names…forum says!?is thre american style gangs here…do you think all of those 2 gangs hve been friends?maybe few but not all of them….
im live in phillipines and there are no gangs here just kids making their own gang and there using infamous gangs names like crips & bloods and when you see kids fighting in the news or in the paper its just a meaningless fight between kids who think that its ok to beat someone up but its true about college frats i actually joined one and ther so violent
Hello Pangsyaw,
I hear that is often the case. There is some evidence though that is starting to change. Some gangsters were deported back to the Philippines and brought their gang mentality with them.
Gang members have been active in Mandaue. If they have ties with the USA gangs I don’t know but a cab driver was killed and robbed by them.
A young girl raped and killed by gang members.
Connected to gangs in the US or not, things do seem to be getting worse and I really hate to see that happen.
I don’t disagree with you that what you’re saying is going on. Sometimes it is local with no connection to the USA. When they started in the USA they were not as violent as they are today.
mostly when there is killing or robbing in the streets its mostly common every night hang in my favoirite spot in colon cebu and i see snatchers barkada(groups of friends) walking around and i see alot of robbing of girls and people who are robbing and raping are not in a gang mostly syndicate who dont have something to do i know because when i was young i had my own barkada and when we go out they ask me to rob that girl and i didnt do it because i know its bad but its mostly syndicate
heyyy!! im filipino but i live in australia. we do have gangs in philippines and its countless.
gangs like, Bloods, and crips are quite common, but we do have some gangs called TST, TBS, and other names,( i wont mention) im 15 and most of my friends are in a gang or fraternity.
fraternity and a gang isnt the same. fraternity is much bigger and has alot of members. gangs are smaller than fraternity. if your thinking why police didnt arrested gang members is because gangs in philippines are cconnected to the police, believe it or not, some police officers are also a gang member… i have a couzin whos in TBS13 bloods. he went through hazzing to get in. and no. i dont think gangs in philippines are connected in gangs in us