Crime rate in MM up by 60%

Manila, Philippines - The number of crimes reported in Metro Manila increased by more than 60 percent during the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2001, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) reported yesterday.

The NCRPO recorded a total of 29,231 crimes in NCR from January to June, a figure 63.8 percent higher than the 18,671 crimes reported during the first six months of 2011.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome said the peace and order situation in Metro Manila does not reflect the condition in the entire country, where “the total crime volume went down.”

Bartolome attributed the increase in crime volume in the metropolis to its huge population of about 12 million. “If there is a large population, there are many opportunities to commit crimes... Even groups from other regions come here... to perpetrate their crimes,” he said.

Bartolome ordered Director Samuel Diciano, chief of the PNP Directorate for Operation (DO) and NCRPO chief Director Alan Purisima to come up with a strategy to address the problem.

Bartolome said some groups manage to carry out around six to eight attacks before their members are either arrested or killed.

As for cases involving motorcycle-riding criminals, there have been 325 recorded incidents with 355 victims; 19 suspects were arrested and 12 others killed in encounters with police. Of the 325 cases, 310 are under investigation, eight referred to prosecutors and seven filed in court.