PNP official defends Davao; schools Trillanes on crime statistics

PNP’s Directorate for Operations chief Director Camilo Cascolan INQUIRER.net / JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS

Philippine National Police (PNP) Directorate for Operations chief Director Camilo Cascolan said Senator Antonio Trillanes IV better “study his statistics” following his “most dangerous city” tag against Davao City.

“Ewan ko kung ano motibo nya (I don’t know what’s his motive) but I think he has to study his statistics. We will give him the stats if he wants to, so he will know what is happening in Davao City,” Cascolan told reporters in a phone interview Wednesday.

Cascolan’s statement comes after Davao City officials declared Trillanes “persona non grata,” as well as Filipino-American businesswoman Loida Nicolas-Lewis, banning them both of visiting the hometown of President Rodrigo Duterte.

READ: Trillanes, a ‘persona non grata’ in Davao City – local execs

“Eh good for him because he is actually doing a lot of fake news when it comes to murder and rape. He cannot say that Davao City is not safe,” Cascolan said.

“There was actually a survey I think it was done in 2015 or 2016 and Davao City is said to be the safest city considering that if you go out at night wala na problema (no more problem),” he added.

Cascolan claimed that when Duterte assumed office, a lot of people felt safer when they go out at night.

“Because wala na yung mga criminal na sinasabi nilang (there is no more criminal that they say) hounding our people during night time,” he said.

Trillanes, a known critic of Duterte, defended his earlier statement that “Davao City has the highest incidence of murder and second highest in rape.”

“The people of Davao either know it but tolerate it out of fear or they’ve actually believed the lie that was fed to them that Davao City is the safest city in the world,” the senator added. /jpv

READ: Trillanes on ‘persona non grata’ tag: Truth hurts