NCRPO: Metro Manila crimes down 62%; murder cases up 60%

The number of crimes in Metro Manila in President Rodrigo Duterte's first 39 months in power has gone down by 62% compared to the number of crimes in the metropolis during former President Benigno Aquino III's last 39, records from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) showed.

The records, however, showed a 60% increase in the number of murder cases.

According to the data presented during the Third Quarter Interim Metro Manila Peace and Order Council meeting on Monday, there were 49,835 crimes in the first 39 months of the Duterte administration from July 2016 to September 26, 2019 compared to 131,839 in the last 39 months of the Aquino administration from Apreil 2013 to June 2016.

There were 82,004 less crimes or a decrease of 62 percent.

Police Major General Guillermo Eleazar, chief of the NCRPO, said the increase in murder cases could be attributed to the so-called purging in drug syndicates.

"Ito ‘yung time na dahil nga sa ating campaign against illegal drugs, ito ‘yung purging na tinatawag, mga sindikatong nagpapatayan, they want to silence the syndicates," Eleazar said.

"May mga pulis na nagbabaligtaran din at mayroong mga scalawags na sila rin pala ang pumapatay sa ibang mga kasama nila sa sindikato," he added.

Crimes against persons, which include murder, homicide, physical injury and rape, were down to 18,184 under Duterte .

This is 49 percent lower than the 35,836 incidents recorded during the last 39 months of Aquino.

Data also indicated that the number of crimes against property, including robbery, theft, and carnapping, also went down by 67 percent.

There were 31,651 recorded crime against property under Duterte while there were 96,003 in the last 39 months of Aquino.

Duterte is halfway into his six-year term which will end on June 30, 2022. —NB, GMA News