PNP: Murder rate in Metro Manila up 112 percent

MANILA- The nationwide crime rate from July 2016 to June 2018 dropped by 21.48 percent compared to the same period from 2014 to 2016, Philippine National Police (PNP) data showed.

A total of 1,040,987 crimes were reported from July 2016 to June 2018, lower than the 1,325,789 cases reported during the same period in 2014 to 2016.

Crimes against persons like homicide, physical injuries, and rape also went down, except for murder which saw an increase of 19,210 or 1.50 percent during the last two years.

The murder rate in Metro Manila soared by around 112 percent or 3,444 from July 2016 to June 2018, significantly higher than the 1,621 murder cases from July 2014 to June 2016, according to the PNP.

Murder cases went up by 35.48 percent in the Ilocos region, 3.20 percent in Central Luzon, and 1.4 percent in the Cordilleras.

In terms of homicide, the Soccsksargen region recorded the most number of cases with 720 from July 2016 to June 2018 compared to the 267 cases recorded two years prior.

The number of homicide cases in Metro Manila, meanwhile, saw a slight decline to 990 from 1,006 from 2014 to 2016.

• READ: PNP: Crime rate down, but murder rate up

PNP spokesperson Senior Supt. Benigno Durana said the drop in crimes in the last two years shows the effective crime solution employed by the PNP on the war on drugs.

“The Duterte administration hit it right, meaning they hit the nail to the head ika nga, so to speak. That if you’re going to reduce crime, improve the peace and order, sense of public safety of the people, deal with the problem on illegal drugs, and we will make our communities safer than before,” Durana said.

Crimes against property like robbery, carnapping, and theft went down by around 50 percent during the same period, according to PNP data.

The index crime solution efficiency rate went up from July 2014 to June 2016 from 32.04 percent to 37.73 percent from July 2016 to June 2018.

The crime solution efficiency rate also improved from 51.44 percent from July 2014 to June 2016 to 62.13 percent from July 2016 to June 2018.

Cases involving special laws including illegal drugs went down to 231,083 from 257,494 cases from 2014 to 2016.

"In terms of result and in terms of capability of our law enforcement agencies, there is an increase as far as capability of our law enforcement agencies, police personnel in terms of solving crimes and filing it in court, malaking improvement,” Durana said.