Marcos: Low crime rate, crime-solution efficacy ‘not enough’

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stressed the need for law enforcers to earn public trust by working closely with the criminal justice system and the judiciary.

Marcos said this in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) as he noted the country’s decreased crime rate and improved crime-solution efficiency. “The strong pillars of our criminal justice system, especially in light of the new rules on criminal investigation and our independent Judiciary, function in unison,” the president said.

Marcos referred to new rules introduced by the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) National Prosecution Service, which will govern criminal procedures and the preliminary process for determining if there is sufficient evidence to believe that a crime has been committed.

In April, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) reported that the crime rate during the first 21 months of the Marcos administration was lower compared to the same period under former President Rodrigo Duterte.

The average monthly crime rate decreased from 21.92 to 15.04, according to the DILG.

Focus crimes such as theft, physical injury, robbery, rape, murder, carnapping and homicide also dropped from 196,420 to 71,133—a decrease of 63.79%.

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), law professor and Free Legal Assistance Group chairperson Chel Diokno concurred with Marcos’ pronouncement with regard to the government’s reliance on the crime-solution rate.

“‘Di sapat ang Philippine National Police (PNP) crime solution rate. A simple directive to the PNP to work with the DOJ to increase conviction rates – especially for organized crime, cartels and syndicates — will solve more crimes and boost public confidence in our justice system,” Diokno said. 

(The PNP crime solution rate is not sufficient. A straightforward directive to the PNP to collaborate with the Department of Justice to increase conviction rates, especially for organized crime, cartels, and syndicates, will solve more crimes and boost public confidence in our justice system.)

As of April, the PNP reported a crime solution efficiency rate of 82.69% from Jan. 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, which represents a 0.62% increase from the previous reporting period from October 2021 to December 2022.