Police downplay text and e-mail warnings about “Bloods” gang existence

By Ronron
October 14, 2007

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is downplaying reports about the existence of a certain “Bloods” gang that is supposedly engaged in killing motorists who flash lights at them.

In a statement last Saturday, PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao, Jr. said the reports are contained in text messages and e-mail messages that are being circulated in the country.

Pagdilao disclosed that the source of report is a purported October 8, 2007 memorandum of the management of a manufacturing firm based in Lapu-lapu City, Cebu for its employees. A copy of the supposed Memorandum, entitled: “STATE POLICE WARNING – WHEN DRIVING,” was emailed to Manila Shimbun on Saturday.

The supposed memo, which was written on what appears to be a company stationary, reads: “If you are driving after dark and see and oncoming car with no headlights on, DO NOT FLASH YOUR LIGHTS AT THEM! This is a common “Bloods” member “initiation game.”

The game supposedly tasks a new gang member to drive a car with the headlights off, and then to shoot to death an oncoming motorist who flashes his headlights to signal the new gang member to switch on his own headlights.

“Police departments across the nation are being warned. Their (Bloods gang members) intent is to have all the new bloods nationwide drive around on Friday and Saturday nights with their headlights off. In order to be accepted into the gang, they have to shoot and kill all individuals in the first auto that does a courtesy flash to warn them that their lights are off,” said the supposed memo, which also bore signatures of supposed company personnel from its Human Resources Department.

The memorandum ends with the following note: “Make sure you share this information with all the drivers in your family! Please forward this message to all your friends and family members to inform them about this initiation ritual. They are also known to drive with high beams on and will do the same as indicated above.”

A check yesterday by Manila Shimbun with the supposed issuing company, which is located at the Mactan Economic Zone in Lapu-lapu City, yielded negative feedback due to the absence of HR personnel who could competently answer the query.

While he admitted receiving the same e-mail information last Saturday afternoon, Lapu-lapu City Police director Supt. Louie Oppus said he has yet to verify the authenticity of said memorandum.

“I might call their security officers to ask on this, if they really issued this memorandum, and what was their basis for issuing such,” Oppus told Manila Shimbun in a phone interview yesterday afternoon.

But regardless of the authenticity of such warning or not, Oppus said the rumor should be taken positively by the people.

“There’s nothing wrong with that warning. Let us not be alarmed by that. Instead, let us just be extra-careful… I even appreciate the spread of this because we can forewarn the people,” Oppus said.

But without citing a basis, Pagdilao immediately called the supposed memorandum as “patently false,” noting that “a very similar hoax was circulated in the United States several years ago,” later dismissed to be an “urban legend.”/DMS