History
The group was originally established by the Philippine military in 1986 to guard against the spread of communist guerrillas in Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur provinces. The first leader, chosen directly by the military, was Ongkoy Parojinog, who allegedly used the group both for its expressed purpose as well as to conduct illegal activities. Parojinog was later killed by Philippine soldiers. When the group was officially disbanded in 1988, they continued to operate as an organized crime syndicate.
Over time, the group grew, with other gangs using the name Kuratong Balelang to cover their own activities. Eventually, the group splintered into multiple, smaller groups headquartered in various cities around the region. The groups are involved in a variety of illegal activities, including robberies, smuggling, kidnapping, murders, extortion, the drug trade, and illegal gambling. According to the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, that part of the groups strength is that it is protected by both local and national government officials.
Read more about this topic: Kuratong Baleleng
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