PNP News Releases 2005

PNP: CRIME VOLUME DOWN BY 10% IN 2004

The Philippine National Police has reported a 10% drop in crime volume in the first ten months of this year.

Official PNP statistics indicate that from January to end-October, total crime volume stood at 64,165 incidents, or a decrease of 9.83% compared with 71,162 incidents posted for the same period in 2003.

Of these incidents, 35,286 are index crimes while 28,879 are non-index crimes.

The PNP defines index crimes are those that are serious in nature and occur with enough frequency and regularity that they serve as an index to the crime situation. These include crimes against persons, such as murder, homicide, and rape; and crimes against property, such as robbery and theft.

Non-index crimes, on the other hand, cover violations of special laws, including smuggling, illegal gambling, illegal logging, cattle rustling, prostitution/vagrancy, and child abuse/pedophilia, among others.

The number of index crimes decreased by 1.20% compared to last year's 35,715 incidents. Decreases were recorded in cases of murder (3.02%); homicide (11.58%); physical injury (2.72%); and robbery (0.68%).

However, incidents of theft increased by 7.36% from 8,275 in 2003 to 8,884 this year.

For non-index crimes, 28,879 incidents were recorded, representing a marked 18.53% decrease compared to last year's figure of 35,447 incidents.

On the campaign against illegal drugs, the PNP reported that it conducted a total of 15,291 operations that resulted in the arrest of 19,318 pushers and users and the confiscation of illegal drugs worth Php11.7 billion.

Police operatives also dismantled 10 clandestine laboratories and chemical warehouses and declared a total of 2,735 barangays drug-free.

The police likewise reported a hefty 64% drop in kidnap-for-ransom cases this year, with 28 cases this year as against last year's record of 77. Of the 28 cases, 18 were solved and 70 kidnappers neutralized. Last October 14 more KFR suspects were arrested, including members of the Pentagon Gang and the Abu Sayyaf Group.

The PNP also reported that a total of 1,440 motor vehicles were stolen this year, or an average of 4.30 motor vehicles stolen every day. This represents a 33% drop from the 2003 figure of 2,159 motor vehicles reported stolen. Anti-carnapping operations resulted in the recovery of 755 vehicles, the arrest of 203 carnappers, the neutralization of 9 syndicates and the filing of 170 cases in court.

The PNP recorded 46 bank robberies nationwide, of which eight were considered solved. Eight suspects were arrested and charged filed against them in court. Only recently, members of the notorious Ilonggo-Jaso-Jaso Group were collared in Antipolo City after they were monitored about to rob the Banco de Oro branch in Cubao, Quezon City .

There were a total of 12,623 incidents of street crimes, including illegal drugs, robbery/hold-up, swindling/estafa and physical injuries. This is lower than last year's figure of 14,667 incidents. Of this year's cases, a total of 11,293 were solved, for a crime solution efficiency of 89.46%.

The PNP likewise posted accomplishments in anti-terrorism efforts, with a marked decrease in bombing incidents and bomb threats particularly in Metro Manila with the implementation of its Three-Tiered Defense System.

Available figures indicate that there were 429 encounters with NPA rebels during the year, of which 197 were government-initiated and 231 were initiated by the NPA. There were 199 AFP casualties, 88 PNP, 68 CAFGUs, 197 civilians and 171 communist-terrorists. Government forces neutralized a total of 537 NPA rebels and confiscated 375 assorted firearms.