PNP reports 23% drop in Metro Manila crimes
National Capital Region Police Office chief Anthony Aberin — FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Crime incidents in Metro Manila went down by 23.73 percent from late November last year to mid-January this year compared to the same period in 2023 to 2024, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said on Friday.
The NCRPO said the number of index crimes (murder, robbery, theft, rape and vehicle theft) in Metro Manila, was at 768 from Nov. 23, 2024 to Jan. 15, 2025, a period covering the busy Christmas and New Year holidays. This was lower than the 1,007 crime incidents recorded during the same period from 2023 to 2024.
The NCRPO attributed the drop in index crimes to the intensified police presence in the streets, areas of convergence and during major events.
It added that more than P153 million worth of illegal drugs and P928,071 worth of bet money in illegal gambling were seized from Nov. 23, 2024 to Jan. 15, 2025.
‘Most wanted’ arrested
Policemen in Metro Manila also arrested 352 violators and confiscated 364 firearms in the NCRPO’s campaign against illegal firearms.
Some 976 most wanted persons and 1,190 others on the wanted list were arrested during the same period. The NCRPO said 349,465 people were also arrested for violating local ordinances in Metro Manila.
“The NCRPO shall consider these initial operational milestones as our motivation to remain committed in performing our mandate of keeping the peace in Metro Manila,” said Police Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin, the NCRPO chief.
“With the help of a responsive community, we shall continue with our ‘back to basics’ approach in crime prevention and solution, while fully embracing innovations in law enforcement,” he added.
First 2 Marcos years
In October last year, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla reported that the country’s crime rate dropped 62 percent during the first two years of the administration of President Marcos.
Remulla said the Philippine National Police recorded 83,059 crime incidents from July 1, 2022 to July 28, 2024, lower than the 217,830 incidents reported in the same period from 2016 to 2018.
“These significant feats are a testament to the unrelenting commitment of the PNP to continuously serve and protect the public from criminality and lawlessness,” Remulla said.
