Interior Secretary Remulla Says Dialogue with TBS Requires End to Criminal Acts

In an ambush interview, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said he is open to dialogue with the True Brown Style (TBS) organization, but only if it promises to cease its alleged criminal conduct. TBS Worldwide countered on social media, asking officials not to generalize its members as lawbreakers and pointing to its community aid efforts. Remulla emphasized that charitable actions do not erase accusations and said authorities possess a roster of suspected TBS participants.

He warned that the group has established a presence in every local government unit in Metro Manila and in 78 provinces, prompting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to order its dismantling. Officials claim TBS mainly recruits youths in their late teens and early twenties, even enlisting 14- to 15-year-olds for crimes such as armed robbery. The secretary affirmed that the government will continue pursuing the gang.