PH crime rate drops by 56%; ECQ violators now 105K

FILE: Scene of the Crime Operation (SOCO) personnel cordon the area where an unidentified man was found dead along Edsa in Cubao, Quezon City on Wednesday (April 8, 2020). (PNA photo by Robert Oswald P. Alfiler)

MANILA – The country’s crime rate dropped by 56 percent during the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to contain the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Sunday.

Based on the latest PNP data from eight focus crimes released to the media by PNP Deputy Chief for Operations, Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Sunday, 1,606 crimes were reported nationwide from March 17 to April 11, 2020.

The number is 56 percent lower compared to 3,562 crimes tallied from February 21, to March 16.

The eight focus crimes murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, carnapping, and motor vehicle theft.

The crime rate in Luzon declined by 63 percent from 1,996 (Feb. 21-March 16) to 741 (March 17-to April 11) while Visayas registered 50 percent drop (from 925 to 459) and Mindanao posted 45 cut (from 731 to 405).

Recently, President Rodrigo Duterte extended the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon up to April 30 to stop the spread of Covi-19.

Other local government units in some parts of Visayas and Mindanao also imposed an ECQ in their respective localities to address the health crisis.

ECQ violators hit 104,996

Eleazar, commander of Joint Task Force Corona Virus Shield (JTF CV Shield), said the PNP will continue to implement the strict implementation of quarantine rules.

He said the JTF CV Shield data from March 17 to April 11 showed that 104,996 have violated the quarantine measures throughout the country.

Luzon posted the highest violators with 62,476 followed by Mindanao with 23,735 and Visayas with 18,785 violators.

According to the report, 74,604 of the 104,996 violators have been given warning while 4,853 were fined, 5,381 were charged, and 25,539 were arrested and are now facing charges.

Eleazar said the police nabbed 679 individuals allegedly engaged in hoarding and profiteering activities while 8,014 public transport vehicles were apprehended for violating mass transportation ban.

He reminded the law enforcers manning the control points not to lower their guard against persons who are not authorized to go out.

The task force established a total of 115 dedicated control points (DCPs) in strategic locations nationwide to be inspected by the highway patrol group (HPG) while there are 3,593 quarantine control points (QCPs) where private vehicles would be inspected.

Eleazar said in situations that QCPs and DCPs are located in one place, the two control points may co-exist in close proximity depending on the coordination between the HPG and the local police.

“But regardless of the location, this rule applies: DCPs shall inspect cargo vehicles and not the non-cargo vehicles; QCPs shall inspect non-cargo vehicles, not the cargo vehicles,” he said.