This file photo shows Philippine National Police Deputy Chief for Operations PLtGen. Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar inspecting Metro Manila Community Quarantine Checkpoints at the boundary of Meycauayan, Bulucan, and Malanday, Valenzuela City, on March 16, 2020. Niño Jesus Orbeta/INQUIRER FILE
MANILA, Philippines — Eight days after the arrest order was issued, the number of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) violators has significantly gone down while the overall crime rate in the country continues to decrease, Joint Task Force COVID Shield Commander Police Lt. General Guillermo Eleazar said in an online briefing on Saturday.
“Gusto ko pong iulat na for the past 46 days, ito po ‘yung nagsimula ang ating community quarantine nung March 17, hanggang kahapon [May 1], ang atin pong krimen po ay patuloy na bumaba,” he noted.
(I want to report that for the past 46 days, since the start of the community quarantine on March 17, until yesterday [May 1], our crime write continues to go down.)
The crime rates in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao went down by 67%, 58%, and 51%, respectively, while the overall crime rate plunged by 61%, according to Eleazar.
While the overall number of ECQ violators have so far reached around 156,000, Eleazar noted that only 41,000 or 26% of the caught individuals were arrested while the rest were let off with a warning.
“Noong magsimula po, noong first day [ng ECQ], March 17, 8,200. Kahapon 1,900, hindi na pumatong ng 2,000 noong ikawalong araw at dahil nga nag-shift tayo from just mere warning to arresting them,” Eleazar said.
(On the onset of the ECQ on March 17, there were 8,200 violators. Yesterday, we only caught 1,900; it did not even reach 2,000 on the eighth day since we shifted from just mere warning to arresting them.)
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on April 21 announced the order to arrest those who defy the ECQ following the deployment of the Philippine National Police’s elite Special Action Force (SAF) team to parts of Luzon.