The country’s peace and order situation is not only stable but has also greatly improved, Justice Secretary Boying Remulla said.
Remulla dismissed the claims made by former president Rodrigo Duterte that that drug-related crimes are rising as “anecdotal and lacking empirical support.”
He also rejected Duterte’s statement that the end of his war on drugs in 2022 allowed criminal elements to resurface, referring to to a report given to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The secretary noted that the total number of recorded crimes from July 1, 2022 to January 31, 2024 fell to 324,368, which is a 10.66% decrease from the 363,075 crimes recorded between December 1, 2020 and June 30, 2022.
Seven out of eight major crimes have seen significant drops, including decreases in rape (11.08%), physical injury (10.59%), robbery (2.26%), murder (10.17%), carnapping (23.27%), and homicide (0.91%). The only exception is theft, which increased slightly by 4.79%.
“We believe that his perception of an escalating crime rate does not reflect the reality supported by concrete data. The peace and order situation remains a top priority for the Marcos administration, and we are committed to assuring the Filipino people that our nation is on a path toward greater stability and security,” said Remulla.
“Our commitment to maintaining peace and order is unwavering, and we will continue to uphold the rule of law for the benefit of all Filipinos,” he also said.IMT
