Crime 32% down, but murder is up 50%

Malacañang said the Philippines has become a safer place in the first five months of the Duterte administration, with figures from the Philippine National Police showing a reduction in the number of most crimes, except for murder cases which increased by more than 50 percent.

PNP statistics released by the Palace showed that the index crime volume went down by 31.67 percent to 55,391 from July to November 2016 from 81,064 in the same period last year.

The number of theft, carjacking, robbery, physical injury, rape, and homicide cases all decreased, but there was a more than 50 percent increase in murder cases.

Murder cases from July to November this year rose to 5,970 from 3,950.

12.25% drop

But the number of the other crimes against persons—homicide, physical injury, and rape—decreased. The total number of crimes against persons went down to 25,438 from 28,989, a 12.25 percent drop.

Crimes against property—robbery, theft, carjacking, and cattle rusting—went down  by 42.48 percent to 29,953 from July to November this year, compared to 52,075 in the same period in 2015.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar credited the PNP for fulfilling the President’s promise to reduce crime.

Andanar also called on the public to cooperate with the police to make the country a safer place.

“I am calling on the people to continue cooperating with the police to further bring down crime incidents in the country,” he said in a statement.

As the Palace hailed the police figures, the Duterte administration continues to receive criticism for the rising number of extrajudicial killings of drug suspects amid its crackdown on the narcotics trade.