PH as among ‘safe countries’ means anti-crime efforts paying off

Eleazar said the Philippines won the distinction twice since it also obtained the same score during the 2019 Global Law and Order. (File: PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA – The Philippines’ inclusion on the list of countries with good peace and order situation proves that the government’s aggressive anti-crime and illegal drugs campaign and strict enforcement of laws are paying off, a ranking police official said Thursday.

Joint Task Force Covid Shield commander Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar made this remark following the recent 2020 Global Law and Order report by United States-based analytics and advisory firm Gallup which showed the Philippines getting a score of 84 out of 100, along with Australia, New Zealand, Poland and Serbia.

Gallup’s Global Law and Order report is a worldwide gauge of people’s sense of personal security and their personal experiences with crime and law enforcement.

Those who were surveyed in the Philippines also have a positive perception of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Eleazar said the Philippines won the distinction twice since it also obtained the same score during the 2019 Global Law and Order.

He said the 2019 and 2020 Gallup reports were an improvement of the country’s score of 82 during the 2017 and 2018 reports of the firm.

“All along, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte was right when he said that the illegal drugs problem is the root cause of most of the crimes in the country. Through aggressive drug war, we were able to reduce the nationwide index crime by 62 percent in the first 42 months of his administration,” Eleazar said.

Earlier, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said the people now feel safer and secured after drug pushers and users were taken out of the streets when they were forced to surrender and were asked to quit being dependent on illegal drugs.

He added that it is the same drug personalities who would usually engage in snatching, robbery, and even homicide and murder cases as they need money to sustain their illegal drugs habit.

There were a number of cases in the past where those who were high in illegal drugs were involved in rape and other heinous crimes.

Gallup, in its survey, used the following questions to measure the people’s sense of personal security and their personal experiences with crime and law enforcement:

1. In the city or area where you live, do you have confidence in the police force?

2. Do you feel safe walking alone at night in the city or area where you live?

3. Within the last 12 months, have you had money or property stolen from you or another household member?

4. Within the past 12 months, have you been assaulted or mugged?

Aside from sweeping the streets of drug pushers and users, Eleazar said the improved score of the Philippines in the past two years can also be attributed to the aggressive implementation of local ordinances against those hanging out on the streets especially during nighttime particularly in Metro Manila and other urban areas.

In 2018, President Duterte ordered the PNP to run after loiterers who have been the subject of numerous complaints for street crimes that include snatching, bullying and harassment of women, especially those who work in business process outsourcing (BPO) and other night shift jobs.

More than 3.6 million violators were apprehended from July 13, 2018 to February 2, 2020.

Metro Manila accounted for 1.8 million accosted violators.

Eleazar also expressed confidence that the Philippines would further improve in the Gallup Law and Order Report in the coming years since the nationwide index crime further reduced by 46 percent during the community quarantine period starting March 17.