Philippines crime volume drops by 21 percent

MANILA, Philippines — The crime volume in the country has dropped by at least 21 percent, based on data from the Philippine National Police (PNP).

The PNP documented 5,939 focus crimes from Jan. 1 to March 9, compared to 7,583 during the same period in 2023, a decrease of 21.68 percent.

The focus crimes are murder, homicide, physical injury, robbery, theft, vehicle theft, motorcycle theft and rape.

Rape registered the biggest drop with 51.86 percent from 1,984 incidents to 955 cases followed by car theft with 50 percent, from 60 to 30, and physical injury, which went down to 728 from 904, a decline of 19.47 percent.

Theft went down by 10.66 percent from 2,355 to 2,104 while robbery incidents recorded a drop of 10.26 percent to 813 from 906.

Incidents of motorcycle theft, meanwhile, decreased by 6.87 percent from 364 to 339 cases.

The PNP said cases of homicide went down from 196 to 188, a decline of 4.08 percent while murder went down by 2.61 percent from 765 to 745.

Ilocos Norte District 1 Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos III lauded the PNP under the leadership of Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. for the improvement in the peace and order situation in the country.

“We have seen the crime numbers go down year-on-year and we hope that trend will continue,” the eldest son of President Marcos said in a speech during his visit to Camp Crame on Thursday.

The lawmaker donated P1 million worth of diagnostic and information technology equipment to the PNP General Hospital.