QCPD: Rise in Quezon City murder cases due to drug-related killings

Quezon City Police District (QCPD) chief Director Guillermo Eleazar on Sunday said the rise in the number of murder cases in the city is due to drug-related deaths.

"Kung ico-compare sa previous year, talagang tumaas siya [murder]. Pero ang tinitignan namin ay ang tumaas ay yung mga drug-related murder cases," Eleazar told GMA News Online in a phone interview.

The QCPD chief was explaining the nearly 100 percent in the number of murder cases recorded from July 2016 to June 2017.

He said the murder cases are classified as drug-related, suspected drug-related, and non-drug-related.

"So while it is true na pangkalahatan, bumaba ng 37 percent yung lahat ng mga index crimes, but still among these eight focus crimes, itong murder lang ang tumaas," he added.

Eleazar, however, said that generally the peace and order situation in the city has improved since July 2016 with the decrease in the number of cases for the seven other focused crimes.

The focused crimes, aside from murder, include homicide, robbery, theft, carnapping, motorcycle theft, physical injuries and rape.

"Ito kasing mga focused crimes, ito kasi ang parang reflection ng peace and order natin. So makita natin na yung 37 percent na pagbaba napaka-unprecedented nun, nakapaganda," he said.

"Sa peace and order, admittedly nag-improve naman, except for murder. At yung murder, nakita naman natin na most of them are involved sa drugs," he added.

Still, the increase in the number of murder cases is something that the QCPD has to address, Eleazar said.

"Ang ginagawa natin ay katulad nung sa Lambat Sibat. We are assessing the circumstances ng mga cases na ito, kung saan nangyari, anong oras. May intervention na gagawin like, more visibility sa mga areas na yun," he said.

"'Yung focus, para sa prevention. Doon sa mga nangyari na, mag-exert ng effort para ma-resolve para malaman kung sino ang perpetrator so we can bring them to justice," he added. —ALG, GMA News