By MARTIN A. SADONGDONG
The average weekly crime rate in Metro Manila saw a sharp decline based on police monitoring recorded from May 14 to 20, the lowest since the start of President Duterte’s administration, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) announced yesterday.
In a press briefing in Quezon City, NCRPO Director Camilo Pancratius Cascolan said that based on the Weekly Average Crime Trend monitoring conducted by the NCRPO Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division (RIDMD), the weekly average crime rate of murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, carnapping of motor vehicles and carnapping of motorcycles decreased from 329 cases recorded from May 14 to 20, 2017 to 231 on the same period this year.
Cascolan said it translated to a 29.29-percent decline in the compared weekly crime rate of the eight focused crimes.
The monitoring revealed that combined rape and homicide cases were down 32 from 34 incidents; physical injury with 38 from 85; rape with 15 from 21; and robbery with 41 to 64.
Although theft cases recorded the highest number at 95, it was still lower compared to 103 noted last year.
Carnapping also decreased to one from four; and motorcycle theft is down to nine from 19 incidents last year.
“Kumpara po sa ilang linggong nakalipas, ito po ang pinakamababa. Marami na rin po tayong inisyatibo na ginawa, tulad ng ating ginagawa sa enhanced police operations, meron na po tayong nakakalat na mga kapulisan sa daanan,” Cascolan said.
He added that members of the regional mobile force battalion have also been making rounds in the different districts in Metro Manila to suppress shooting incidents perpetrated by motorcycle-riding suspects and other lawless elements.
He also disclosed that bus marshalls on major terminals, including along EDSA and Roxas Boulevard, have been revived as well as the protection of the region’s borderlines.
“We dedicate all of these to the public, whom we pledged to serve,” said Cascolan, who assumed post as the NCRPO regional director on April 23, 2018, replacing now Philippine National Police chief Director General Oscar Albayalde.
He also vowed to double the efforts of the Metro Manila police to gain continuous decrease of crime rate in the region through enhanced management police operations, internal cleansing, target-hardening measures, border control, social investigation, community partnership and deployment of resources; information operations; red teaming operations; contingency planning; simulation exercise; offensive stance; and feedback mechanisms.