MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) cried foul over the branding of the Philippines as a “broken and lawless nation” by a Hong Kong-based human rights group, stressing that such assessment is exaggerated and baseless.
Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr., PNP spokesman, said the latest statistics showing that there is almost 40 percent decrease in the crime volume in the country this year compared to last year is but enough proof to belie the statement of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC).
“There is a significant decrease in our crime volume and crime rate every year. We don’t know the basis of such security assessment but statistics don’t lie, such decrease in crime rate and crime volume is enough to disprove their statement,” said Cruz in a phone interview.
In a statement posted in its website, the AHRC used as basis the killings of Reynaldo Labrador of Davao City and Vicente Felisilda of Mawab, Compostela Valley, who were both allegedly executed in front of their families.
The killings, it stated, illustrate “how broken and lawless the country has become.”
“In a country where an individual could no longer protect himself, he cannot protect his family; a family who cannot protect its members, cannot protect the community where they belong; and a person, a family and a community that cannot protect itself cannot protect a nation. A nation that cannot protect its own citizens, their families and the community where they live cannot hope to protect the foreigners on its soil. It is a broken and lawless nation,” the statement read.
But Cruz stressed that the AHRC should not concentrate on two cases in making a general assessment on a country’s peace and order situation, adding that source of the information with regard to the murder should also be considered.
The two killings, the AHRC stated, were documented by local rights group Karapatan.
Cruz then could not help but compare the crime rate in the Philippines with the United States of America.
“The crime rate in the Philippines is 10 times compared to that in the United States. Would that make America a much broken and lawless nation?” said Cruz.
“We have our own statistics, all they have is a belief, a general statement based on what? We don’t even know the parameters they used in making such generalization,” he stressed.
On France’s travel advisory
While Cruz has a response against the AHRC, the official said he respects the decision of the French government which issued a travel advisory on its citizens with regard to the rise of crimes during Christmas season in the Philippines.
“It is its responsibility to their citizens and we respect that,” said Cruz.
Cruz even admitted that France appeared to have basis in issuing the travel advisory since crime against property is indeed rising as the Yuletide season approaches. –AARON RECUENCO, Manila Bulletin
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