Syndicate

Gang-related organised crime in the Philippines according to the Philippine National Police is concentrated around the cities of Manila, Cebu and regionally across the Visayas, and south in Mindanao. With regards to so-called Syndicate groups the cities identified as having the most serious crime problems, which also accounted for the majority of syndicate related homicides in the Philippines, were Manila, Cebu City, Ozamis and Davao City.^[1][2] The various criminal groups emerged after World War Two as the consequence of the war years and the mass migration of lingual groups from the Visayas and Mindanao this groups formed the early gangs in the late 1940S, this groups further coalesce to form bigger gangs.

This Syndicates has been cornering the drug trade in recent years in collusion with big transnational drug cartels like the  Sinaloa Cartel^[3] and the Yakuza as well as the various Triad groups^[4][5][6]

Increasingly,some gangs in certain inner city areas such as Metro Manila and Cebu City are becoming more influenced by America's gang culture such as the emergence of localized Crips and Bloods. This is evidenced by violent gang wars in which this local versions has been engaged^[7][8]

Debate persists over the extent and nature of organized crime activity in the Philippines, with some academics and policy-makers arguing that the current focus of enforcement efforts on crime groups is inadvisable, given a lack of consensus over the relationship between the so-called sindikato groups and crime in general.

A general term that identifies with various syndicate groups existing in the country it is a Tagalog/Cebuano translation for the word Syndicate,^[9] its doesn't point to one single organized crime group but embraces the whole Philippine underworld in general,but there are still disputes as to its real nature as one group may claim the name for themselves or some refuse to be identified as such,the term is rarely used in English speaking media outlets but is prevalent and mentioned quite frequently on local language tabloids and newspapers^{[10][11][12][13]}

As far as news articles has claimed there exist various organized syndicate groups operating in the country,here are some of the groups that are openly mentioned in news articles that has been involved in various crimes

A large crime group operating in Mindanao and the Visayas,it is a break away faction of the Kuratong Baleleng mainly engaded in robbery and hold up as well to some extent drug trafficking^[14][15]

This group has been involved in a sensational case the so-called Kuratong Baleleng massacre.In which 11 members of the Kuratong Baleleng were killed by the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, led by Panfilo Lacson,the case is still unresolved,^[16] The group was originally established by the Botanical Youth Club in 1986 to guard against the spread of communist guerrillas in Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur provinces,they continued to operate as an organized crime syndicate engage in drug trafficking,robbery and other illegal activities ^[17][18]

Has been involved in many crimes in the major cities mainly involved in theft and robbery they are reputed to be one of the largest criminal group in the country,they are a gang of petty thieves who victimized unwary people usually in busy public places^[19]

A big syndicate group operating out of Mindanao has been reported by the media as engaged in kidnap for ransom,drug trafficking and big time smuggling as well^[20]

A large prison gang concentrated mostly in the Muntinglupa prison an umbrella group reputed to control several other gangs in Muntinglupa and is a rival of the Sigue Sigue Spunik another large prison gang^[21]

A big robbery group engaged in large scale burglary and robberies which often ends in the murder of the residences of the building and homes that are broken into,The group has victimized posh subdivisions and high rise condominiums and stolen millions worth of properties^[22][23]

On July 3, 2014 the Philippine National Police launched sweeping operations in Cebu raiding Sindikato drug dens in several coordinated saturation drive all over the city and arresting prominent syndicate drug dealers,confiscating weapons as well as an estimated 2 to 4 million pesos worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride locally known as shabu,this was triggered by the slaying of a police official recently in Bohol during a botched drug sting,this is the biggest police crackdown against the Sindikato in Cebu in recent years.^{[24][25][26][27]}

On December 15, 2014 a series of raids were launched against sindikato controlled gangs in the Muntinglupa prison facility which netted drugs,guns and luxury items such cellphones,televisions.and even a Jacuzzi,a whole recording studio was discovered deep in syndicate controlled areas,but the rival Sigue Sigue Union prison groups  were untouched sparking complaints of leniency to the enemies of the Sindikato controlled groups^[28]

The seeming leniency of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in the Muntinlupa correctional facility on the rivals of the Sindikato groups has sparked a renew a war inside the giant prison facility,with a grenade attack on January 8, 2015 against the Sigue Sigue faction of the so called Commando gang killing one commando gangster,prison official suspected members of Sindikato groups as responsible ,tension remain high as the opposing groups gear up for a possible riot^[29]

Cebu robbery group known as the Local Boys has been on a robbery spree since the beginning of August hitting a big remittance outlet chain and several gasoline stations and a pharmacy,it is believe to be led by the Rama group^[30][31][32]

With the APEC summit happening in Cebu on August and September 2015 local police are on heightened alert for members of sindikato's salisi gangs which victimized civilians tourist in the cities ^[33]

As President elect Rodrigo Duterte assumes power after winning the May 8,2016 presidential election, he vowed to crush the Sindikato groups sending out bounties (5 million pesos)^[34] for the heads of the Sindikato,The syndicate Bosses in retaliation put a prize of 50 milloin pesos for the head of President Duterte and the head of the Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP)<ref>"Drug syndicates out to get Duterte's head – ex-governor".</refA On May 28, 2016 Suspected big-time sindikato drug pusher was killed together with his two cohorts during a raid in the island of Banacon in Getafe, Bohol.Rowen “Yawa or Devil” Secretaria eluded arrest in an anti-drug operation in 2013.,On June 19, 2016  One of Cebu's biggest alleged Sindikato drug dealers, Jeffrey Otom Diaz alias "Jaguar", was shot dead by Regional Intelligence Division-7 operatives and Las Piñas police along with one of his cohorts past 10 p.m. Friday at corner Gem and Narra road, Pilar Village in Barangay Almanza, Las Piñas Suspected Sindikato drug lord Alvaro “Barok” Alvaro surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Bohol on Tuesday, June 21, four days after he escaped from a police shootout that killed another suspect the police called Jaguar.)<ref>"Drug syndicates". {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)</ref, Due to intensive all out war against the Sindikato some 700 sindikato members ranging from small time drug runners to district level syndicate street bosses has surrendered ahead of the assumption of the presidency of President elect Rodrigo Duterte for fear of being killed in the streets by the police and the so called vigilante groups

• Organized Crime