By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan | Philippine News Agency
MANILA – The country’s crime rate has dropped by 73.76% in the first five years of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said Monday (Feb. 21) night.
Speaking to the President during his Talk to the People briefing, Año said index crimes in the country dropped to 34,552 in 2021 from 131,699 in 2016.
Index crimes refer to offenses considered as serious in nature with sufficient frequency and regularity citing murder, homicide, rape, robbery, carnapping, physical injuries, and eight other special complex crimes.
“Mula (rin) noong nakaraang taon ng 2021 kumpara sa taong 2020, makikita po natin sa total crime incidents na umaabot po ng 374,277 ang volume. Sa year 2021 ay 360,573 o mayroong pagbaba ng 3.66% sa total crime incidents (From the past year of 2021 as compared to 2020, we have seen that total crime incidents reached a volume of 374,277. In 2021, we have 360,573 or a decrease of 3.66% in total crime incidents),” the DILG chief added.
Año attributed these figures to the intensified anti-criminality program of the Duterte administration.
“Ano pong ibig sabihin nito? Nararamdaman po ng ating mga kababayan ang pagganda ng peace and order situation at ang pagiging kumpyansa na ligtas po ang ating mga mamamayan laban sa mga kriminal (What does this mean? Our countrymen feel the improvement of the peace and order situation and the confidence that our people are safe against criminals),” Año told President Duterte.
Meanwhile, during the period, data from the Philippine National Police (PNP) revealed that P27,580,509 shabu and marijuana were seized from February 13-19.
Año reported that the anti-narcotics authorities conducted 916 operations where 1,281 individuals were arrested with three fatalities and 47 others voluntarily giving themselves up.
‘Odette’ aid
Año said P3.2 billion out of the P4.85 billion worth of ayuda (cash aid) were distributed to 2,280,054 beneficiaries in the areas struck by Typhoon Odette.
He noted that the Caraga region topped the list with 92.10% of the ayuda distributed followed by Mimaropa with 90.55% distribution rate.
However, Año noted that Region 6 (Western Visayas) had distributed the ayuda to 773,123 recipients which is the most when it comes to the aid delivered.
“Patuloy pa rin po nating imo-monitor at isu-supervise ang pagbibigay ng mga natitira pang ayuda sa lahat ng apektado (We will still continue to monitor and supervise the distribution of the remaining ayuda to the affected),’’ he said.
Año also noted the continuous improvement in the country’s coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) situation with only 14 cities and municipalities currently under granular lockdowns.
To date, 109 barangays are among 226 granular lockdown areas in the country which has affected 267 households or 343 individuals. (PNA)
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