SILG Remulla: Many crimes due to persons past admin let in

Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla on Thursday attributed many of the crimes in the country to persons allowed into the country under the past administration even as Malacañang denied allegations that the crime rate has gone up.

According to Chino Gaston's report on "24 Oras," Remulla said trolls were making it appear that criminality is rising.

"Yung mga trolls ng mga dating administration, pinapalabas nila na tumataas ang crime. Ito ang 'di nila sinasabi ay resulta ito ng mga taong pinapasok nila sa bansa mula 2017 hanggang 2022. Kami, nilinis lang namin ang gulo na iniwan nila,” Remulla said.

(The trolls of the previous administration make it appear that crime in the country is increasing. They are not revealing that this is the result of the people they allowed into the country from 2017 to 2022. We are cleaning the mess they left behind.)

Former presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo said the Duterte administration did not need internet trolls since it had a high trust and approval rate, unlike the current administration, which needs trolls to prop its image and attack the previous government.

GMA Integrated News has reached out to Malacañang for comments on the matter.

According to Teresita Ang See of the Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO), there is an upward trend of kidnapping cases in the country due to the operation closure of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators hubs.

“The business community is in a panic because this is what they are afraid of,” Ang See said.

GMA Integrated News has reached out to some business groups, but they declined to comment on the issue.

According to the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group, there are 23 kidnapping cases in 2024, of which 90% involve Chinese victims and kidnappers.

There have been eight kidnapping cases so far in 2025, with the 14-year old Chinese student who was abducted in Taguig City and later  found Tuesday as the latest case.

The Philippine National Police said the number of focus crime cases such as theft, robbery, rape, murder, homicide and physical injuries have gone down by over 1,000 from January 1 to 14 compared to the same period in 2024.

“All of the robbery incidents, theft incidents went down. Tumaas lang po yung carnapping, at, if my memory serves me right, a little of homicide if not mistaken. Lahat bumaba. Ang ibinababa po is 21.71% to be exact,” said Police Brigadier General Anthony Aberin, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director.

(All of the robbery and theft incidents went down. Although, there is an increase in carnapping and homicide cases if my memory serves me right. Crime cases went down by 21.71%.)

Despite these figures, there are various information on social media that the number of crime incidents in the country are on the rise. These allegations were denied by Malacanang Palace.

“Para sabihin na iyong crime rate natin ay tumataas, prevailing na – hindi po iyon tama. Kung papansinin po natin maaari nating ikumpara ang mga pangyayari sa naunang administrasyon at saka sa nangyayari ngayon. Mas maganda po sana magbase tayo sa data, statistics,” said Undersecretary Claire Castro Palace Press Officer.

(It’s not true to say the crime rate increased or is prevailing. We can compare it to the previous administration. It is better to base it on data and statistics.) — Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News