Crimes down 56 percent – PNP

MANILA, Philippines — The number of crimes went down by 56 percent since the enhanced community quarantine to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was implemented last month, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported yesterday.

Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, PNP deputy chief for operations, said 1,606 crimes were recorded from March 17 to April 11, a decrease of 56.02 percent compared to 3,652 cases from Feb. 26 to March 16.

In Luzon, which was placed on lockdown by President Duterte to prevent the transmission of the virus, crimes dropped from 1,996 to 742, or a decrease of 62.82 percent.

In Visayas and Mindanao where local government units also implemented quarantine measures, crimes decreased by 49.62 percent and 44.59 percent, respectively.

Cases of robbery went down from 593 to 235, rape from 403 to 170, and murder from 421 to 250.

A total of 104,996 people were accosted by police for violating the enhanced community quarantine.

Data from the PNP showed that 62,476 individuals were apprehended in Luzon, 18,785 from the Visayas and 23,735 in Mindanao.

Of the number, 25,539 people were charged for violating quarantine guidelines. The rest were either fined or reprimanded by authorities.

Eleazar, who heads the joint task force COVID-19 Shield, ordered policemen not to lower their guard against persons who violate quarantine rules.

“There are some unauthorized persons who still go out of their homes because they are not being cautioned,” he said.