Editorial

Lower crime rat

The Philippine National Police (PNP), in a press release dated July 30, 2021, reported that the crime rate in the country has dropped by 64 percent in the past five years. The success, according to PNP Chief Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, was achieved due to aggressive law operations (which include the campaign against illegal drugs) and the efficacy of solving crimes, which reflect the accomplishment of the PNP in “maintaining peace and order and protecting people from criminal records and terrorist elements.” If the country’s top security agency has been effective in its fight against criminal acts and terrorist attacks, how is it reflected in communities?

Better internal policing. As emphasized by Eleazar, part of the effective crime campaign is the involvement of community members. This gave citizens the upper hand to report immediately suspicious and criminal activities in their respective residences. As a result, timely interventions are given to prevent and resolve crimes.

Amidst pandemic, the PNP has harnessed the power of social media due to limited movement imposed by the current health protocols. Web-based platforms such as E-Sumbong and Project E-ACCESS through the PNP anti-cybercrime group were utilized. The former uses Facebook in reporting crime and seeking police assistance, while the latter gives netizens access to information regarding cellular phone numbers, e-mails, and social media accounts that are being used for illegal online activities. By empowering citizens to become active agents of peace and order, healthy cooperation between the police and community will be achieved.

Enhanced sense of security. Based on the PNP data, a total of 1,113, 712 focus crimes were recorded from July 2010 to June 2015 compared to only 395, 920 recorded focus crimes from July 2015 to June 2021, which reflects a 64.45 percent reduction rate. By definition, focus crimes include murder, homicide, rape, physical injury, robbery, theft, and carnapping of motor vehicles. With more resolved cases and convicted suspects, citizens would feel safe and secured.

However, the aforementioned claim was challenged by data published by Global Finance, an international monthly magazine, which ranked the Philippines at the bottom of the list of safest countries. Based on three factors (war and peace, personal security, and natural disaster risk), the Philippines got a score of 14.8899 in the Global Finance Safety Index, putting it at the bottom of 134 countries included in the ranking. Iceland was listed as the safest country with a score of 3.9724. As a response, the PNP said that the country’s statistics of crime rate does not jive with the ranking. Though, considering that the criteria involved isn’t only limited to lower crime rates, the PNP took the Global Finance’s findings as a challenge to bet

yond statistics, may all Filipinos continue to obey the laws of the land to maintain communities that are safe, respectful, and dignifying. May all Filipinos continue to stay humane, for criminality and terrorism hinder progress and development in the country.