DILG: Crime rate lower under President Marcos compared to Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has recorded a lower crime rate during the first 21 months of the Marcos administration compared to the same period under former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos said the peace and order situation in the country “has improved with a much lower index crime volume” from 196,519 from the pre-pandemic period of July 1, 2016 to April 21, 2018 to 71,544 from July 1, 2022 to April 21, 2024.

Abalos made the report during the National Peace and Order Council (NPOC) and Regional Peace and Order Council meeting presided by President Marcos at Malacañang on Thursday, according to the Presidential Communications Office.

Peace and order indicators went down for the same periods from 541,917 from July 1, 2016 to April 21, 2018 to 371,801 from July 1, 2022 to April 21, 2024, Abalos, who also chairs the NPOC, said.

Average monthly crime rate also decreased for the same periods, respectively from 21.92 to 15.04. Focus crimes such as theft, physical injury, robbery, rape, murder, carnapping and homicide also dropped from 196,420 to 71,133 or 63.79 percent decrease.

Non-index crime volume also decreased from 345,398 from July 1, 2016 to April 21, 2018 to 300,257 from July 1, 2022 to April 21, 2024, the DILG chief said.

In terms of the index crime volume, the PNP recorded 48,587 cases from January 2023 to March 24, which is 4,240 or 8.02 percent lower than the 52,827 cases recorded from October 2021 to December 2022, Abalos said.

The non-index crime, on the other hand, was recorded at 202,377 from January 2023 to March 2024, which is 11,546 or 5.37 percent lower than the 214,923 recorded cases from October 2021 to December 2022.

Abalos said the PNP has recorded 98.88 percent of total crime clearance efficiency from January 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, which is 0.32 percent higher than the crime clearance efficiency report from October 2021 to December 2022.

The PNP also recorded 82.69 percent of total crime solution efficiency from January 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, which is 0.62 percent higher than the figures reported between October 2021 and December 2022.

Marcos earlier said his administration’s “bloodless” anti-illegal drug campaign is working, following the recent confiscation of P13.3 billion worth of shabu or methamphetamine in Batangas, which is considered as the “biggest drug haul in Philippine history.”

“This is the biggest shipment of shabu that we have seized. But not one person died. No one died, no one was shot, no one was hurt,” the President said on April 16.

Government urged to act on HR violations

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) yesterday welcomed the commitment of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to safeguard human rights, combat extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations in the country.

“It is encouraging that the DOJ promised to implement reforms that will alter the attitudes and behavior of law enforcement personnel,” the CHR said, as it expressed hope that “these pronouncements will translate to concrete results, including increase in the number of resolved cases of human rights violations.”

“CHR also notes the DOJ’s assurance that it is doing all the crucial steps to strengthen the criminal justice system and to ensure accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations… We are hopeful that these pronouncements will translate to concrete results, including increase in the number of resolved cases of human rights violations,” it added.

The DOJ issued the statement following the release of the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices of the United States Department of State.

It found that while there had been a decrease in cases of extrajudicial killings under the current administration, there were no significant changes in the human rights situation in the Philippines last year.

Among those it cited were cases of arbitrary or unlawful killings, enforced disappearance, torture, harsh and life-threatening prison conditions and arbitrary detention. — Janvic Mateo