Crime rate was higher during Duterte's time, PCO exec tells Baste

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro on Thursday hit back at Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte after the latter said that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.'s administration is supposedly “very lenient” to criminals. 

In a Palace press conference, Castro was asked about Duterte's remark and she responded by asking where the mayor obtained his information. Without specifying figures, she claimed that the crime rate was higher during the time of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

''Ang tanong natin, saan ba niya nakuha ang mga data, iyong mga facts na binabanggit niya na lenient ang bagong pamahalaan o ang kasalukuyang administrasyon patungkol sa paggawa ng krimen? Sinabi na po natin ito, panahon po ni dating Pangulong Duterte, mas mataas po ang crime rate kung ikukumpara po sa panahon ng kasalukuyang administrasyon – iyan po ay base sa statistics,'' Castro said. 

(Where did he get his data, the facts he's saying that the administration is lenient to criminals? We've said this before that during the time of former President Duterte, the crime rate was higher compared to the present administration.) 

Castro then called on Duterte that before making any statement, he should first check the records to validate his claim. 

''Siguro po bago po magbintang at magparatang si Mayor Baste patungkol sa diumanong leniency ng Pangulo/ng kasalukuyang administrasyon patungkol sa pagsasagawa ng krimen, tingnan niya po muna at araling mabuti, makipag-usap sa mga abogado para malaman kung ano ang totoong records. Mas mataas po ang crime rate sa panahon ng kaniyang ama,'' she said. 

(Before he makes claims about the supposed leniency of the Marcos administration, he should check and study first, talk to lawyers about the real records. The crime rate during his father's time was higher.) —LDF, GMA Integrated News