PNP: Crime rate dropped by 59% in 2 days

MANILA, Philippines —  The crime rate in the country dropped by at least 59 percent in two days, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported yesterday.

Citing data from the PNP Crime Research Analysis Center, national police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said 34 index crimes were recorded on Sept. 19, which is lower by 59.03 percent compared to 83 incidents on Sept. 18.

Index crimes involve offenses such as murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft and vehicle theft.

Meanwhile, non-index crimes such as violation of special laws dropped by 87.65 percent, from 721 to 89.

Azurin said among the crimes that went down are illegal gambling, which he attributed to intensified law enforcement operations by their police units.

“We are doubling our efforts to sustain the momentum and to make the public feel confident about their environment,” he said in a statement.

The PNP has been releasing figures on the crime rate in response to reports on social media platforms about an alleged surge in crimes.

In Quezon City, 34 people were rounded up for various crimes on Wednesday.

Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, Quezon City Police District director, said 10 were drug suspects who yielded P27,200 worth of prohibited narcotics.

The others were accosted for illegal gambling and for being the subjects of arrest warrants.