Kuratong Baleleng
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Kuratong Baleleng was an
organized crime syndicate Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...
in the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
that once was an
anti-communist Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, w ...
,
vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without Right, legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a pers ...
group. Once the largest syndicate in the country, they received nationwide attention due to their alleged end in a shootout with the
Philippine National Police The Philippine National Police ( fil, Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas, acronymed as PNP) is the armed national police force in the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Current ...
in May 1995 in
Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
. The syndicate has scattered its power through members garnering political positions since then. September 18, 2018


History

The group was originally established by the Botanical Youth Club in 1986 to guard against the spread of communist guerrillas in
Misamis Occidental Misamis Occidental ( ceb, Kasadpang Misamis; Subanen languages, Subanen: ''Sindepan Mis'samis''; fil, Kanlurang Misamis), officially the Province of Misamis Occidental, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province located in the Regions of the Ph ...
,
Zamboanga del Norte Zamboanga del Norte ( Cebuano: ''Amihanang Zamboanga''; Subanon: ''Utara Sembwangan''; tl, Hilagang Zamboanga), officially the Province of Zamboanga del Norte, is a province in the Philippines situated within the Zamboanga Peninsula region in M ...
and
Zamboanga del Sur Zamboanga del Sur ( Cebuano: ''Habagatang Zamboanga;'' Subanen: ''S'helatan Sembwangan/Sembwangan dapit Shelatan''; Chavacano: ''Zamboanga del Sur''; tl, Timog Zamboanga; mdh, Pagabatan Sambuanga), officially the Province of Zamboanga del Sur, ...
provinces. The first leader, chosen directly by the military, was Octavio "Ongkoy" Parojinog, who allegedly used the group both for its official purpose as well as to conduct illegal activities. They were effective in driving out most of the insurgents out of these three provinces. But during peace time when the military ordered them to disband, the group instead started conducting illegal activities. The syndicate has since been involved in activities such as kidnapping, robberies, drug trafficking, and other crimes. Eventually, the group splintered into multiple, smaller groups around the region. The groups are involved in a variety of illegal activities, including robbery, smuggling, kidnapping, murder, extortion, drugs and illegal gambling. The gang is rooted in the Christian Cebuano community, but has ties to Maguindanao guerillas, which led Muslim Maguindanao clans to become members of the Kuratong Baleleng. According to military intelligence, part of the group's strength is that it is protected by both local and national government officials.


1995 PACC murder case

In 1995, 11 members of Kuratong Baleleng were killed by the forces of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, led by
Panfilo Lacson Panfilo "Ping" Morena Lacson Sr. (; born June 1, 1948) is a Filipino former politician and police general who served as a Senate of the Philippines, Senator for three terms: from 2001 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2022. He was the Chief of the Phil ...
. Officers were prosecuted with the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), the largest human rights law firm, serving as the chief prosecutor in the case. In 2003, the High Tribunal remanded the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to once again indict Lacson and 33 other police officials. The trial court dismissed the criminal case, for lack of probable cause. The special prosecuting team of FLAG led by Atty. Jose Manuel ''Chel'' Diokno responded and later asked the High Tribunal to remand the case once more to the trial court to present new evidence against Lacson, inter alia. On May 2, 2008, the Supreme Court resolved to approve the appeal thereby reopening the case to prosecute the offending officers.


Modern day

The death of Ongkoy did not spell the end of the group, however. The lawmen responsible for his death, save for the leader Colonel Gadapan, were murdered one by one. Remnants of the Kuratong Baleleng has since spread out and made claims throughout Mindanao and in other provinces, mostly in
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
and
Cebu Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 ...
. In April 2014, a long-time Kuratong Baleleng fugitive, Edgar Digamo, was shot and killed by police after Digamo started shooting at them in
Lapu-Lapu City Lapu-Lapu City, officially the City of Lapu-Lapu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Lapu-Lapu; fil, Lungsod ng Lapu-Lapu), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
after hiding for 13 years. Operations set during the
Philippine Drug War The Philippine drug war, known as the War on Drugs, is the intensified anti-drug campaign of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, who served office from June 30, 2016 to June 30, 2022. The campaign reduced drug proliferation in th ...
had weakened the Kuratong Baleleng severely. Most of the Parojinogs were either killed or captured, starting during the 2017 Ozamiz Raid. In 2018, gang leaders Manuelito Estomata Francisco, Rizalina Francisco, and June Ozamiz Francisco, were captured by the Police Regional Office 1. Efforts to revive the gang in Zamboanga del Sur was uncovered and halted, with President
Rodrigo Duterte Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
proclaiming, "There are police there in Zamboanga del Sur sort of reviving the Kuratong Baleleng… better shape up."


Depictions in popular culture

Jinggoy Estrada Jose Pimentel Ejercito Jr. (; born February 17, 1963), also known as Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada or simply Jinggoy Estrada, is a Filipino politician, film actor, and producer serving as a Senator since 2022, and previously from 2004 to 2016. He ...
starred in the 1995 film ''Wilson Sorronda Leader Kuratong Baleleng's Solid Group'' depicting the life of ex-military man turned Kuratong Baleleng leader, Wilson Sorronda and the events that led to the 1995 encounter that ended Kuratong Baleleng's criminal activities. In early 2014, the film ''
Sa Ngalan ng Ama, Ina, at mga Anak ''Sa Ngalan ng Ama, Ina at mga Anak'' ( fil, In the Name of the Father, Mother, and Children) is a 2014 Philippine action film featuring the Padilla family. The film was on the shortlist to show at the 2013 Metro Manila Film Festival. Synopsis ...
'' about Kuratong Baleleng, starring actor
Robin Padilla Robinhood Ferdinand Cariño Padilla (; born November 23, 1969), known professionally as Robin Padilla, is a Filipino politician, television personality, martial artist, actor and director currently serving as a Senator of the Philippines since ...
, was released. The feature film ''Bamboo Dogs'' (2018) by Khavn ( Khavn De La Cruz) is based on the Kuratong Baleleng Rubout Massacre of 1995.


References

{{Philippine Drug War events Philippine Drug War Organized crime groups in the Philippines