Public safety remains Duterte priority — Palace

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has assured the public that President Duterte would press the implementation of the government’s anti-crime campaign.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo issued the statement after a recent survey by the Social Weather Station (SWS) showed that 6.1 percent or 1.4 million Filipino families have been victimized by common crimes in the past six months.

Panelo said the government would implement measures to address criminality.

“We take note of the 2018 Third Quarter Survey conducted by SWS showing 6.1 percent of families reporting crime victimization within the past six months. This figure is identical to the statistic for the same period in the previous year,” Panelo said.

Although the figure is seven percent higher than the second quarter, Panelo said this has been the lowest third quarter crime victimization reported in recent years, the highest being 13 percent in September 2010.

“Significant strides have been made by the current administration through its war against criminality, including those related to illegal drugs,” he said.

Panelo said Filipinos feel safer with the government’s stance against criminals and drug traffickers. 

“It also becomes clear that those who remain to dissent the President’s policies are either people who are connected with illegal activities or politicians belonging to the opposition, as well as their blind followers, who cannot accept the feats of the government,” he said.

Panelo gave assurance that the Duterte administration would not waiver in the campaign against illegal drugs and other forms of criminality.