Crime on decline, boasts PNP chief

President Benigno C. Aquino III [seated, second from left] presides over the Philippine National Police Command Conference at the general headquarters of the PNP in Camp Crame, Quezon City. Joining him are PNP Director General Nicanor Bartolome, Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno, and senior police officers.

THE crime rate over the past two years showed a big downtrend, Philippine National Police chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome reported to President Benigno C. Aquino III during a command conference in Camp Crame Monday.

Bartolome said they arrested 40,653 offenders. “These wanted suspects were rounded-up by different police units in continuing operations to account for wanted persons dubbed LOI Manhunt Charlie by the PNP,” he said.

In an ambush interview, Mr. Aquino said he was satisfied with the efforts of the PNP in curbing all kinds of criminality especially the clipping carnapping incidents.

“I think it is very substantial what they called crime index. That is the figure that they are referring to that has gone down if you look at it in a two-year period by about 50 percent. We want to improve in several aspects,” he said.

“I gave the relevant instruction to the appropriate individuals to improve further the peace and order in the country, he said, without going into specifics,” the President added.

Bartolome said that high in the agenda are prevailing issues and concerns on peace and order, including street crime, firearms control, and internal security.

He said the decreasing trend was recorded from a “Total Crime Volume” of 502,665 cases in 2009 to only 246,958 in 2011, indicating a steady decline in the commission of crime with an average monthly decrease of 3.57 percent until the end of 2011. –Florante S. Solmerin, Manila Standard Today