MANILA -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) reported a drop in the total number of crimes in the country based on its latest data on the peace and order situation.

In a report to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, PNP Chief Police Gen. Benjamin Acorda reported that the peace and order indicator (POI), or total number of crimes recorded in the period July 1, 2022 to January 31, 2024 decreased to 324,368 or 10.66 percent lower from the 363,075 crimes recorded in the period December 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022,

In the same period, there was a recorded decrease in seven out of the eight focus crimes. There was a decrease in the cases of rape (11.08%), physical injury (10.59%), robbery (2.26%), murder (10.17%), carnapping (23.27%), and homicide (.91%). Only theft recorded an increase at 4.79%.

The crime clearance efficiency (CCE) and crime solution efficiency (CSE) rates also increased by 0.35 percentage points (pp) (from 98.30 percent to 98.65 percent) and 0.14 pp (from 82.34 percent to 82.48 percent), respectively, in the same period.

“We reported our accomplishments… although seemingly, nakita natin na nag-improve iyong crime statistics – it went down by 10 percent. But as we dissected further these crime statistics, there is a need for us to focus on cybercrime – iyon ang nakita natin na medyo tumaas as reported during the last quarter,” Acorda said in a press briefing in Malacañang.

“And in line with that, as instructed by our President, we are intensifying, we are capacitating our police officers on the ground especially as of previously, ang ating cybercrime group is only up to the regional level lang,” he added.

The PNP is also training its personnel with an overall objective of training police officers to handle cybercrime or online crimes down to the police station level/municipal level, he added.

Among the operations conducted by the PNP include those against illegal drugs, loose firearms, illegal gambling, Communist Terrorist group (CTG), Local Terrorist, and Private Armed Groups (PAGs). In the fight against illegal drugs, 75,831 operations were conducted, resulting in the arrest of 95,790 individuals and confiscation of 10,324 kilograms of illegal drugs worth PhP21.1 billion.

The campaign against loose firearms yielded 14,351 arrests, with 47,440 confiscated firearms. Some 8,925 cases were also filed in court.

The PNP also reported arresting 1,098 individuals in its CTG campaign with 11,721 surrendering while 1,943 firearms were recovered during operations.

Some 34 individuals were arrested in PNP’s operations against Local Terrorist Groups, with 513 surrendering and 278 firearms being recovered.

In the fight against PAGs, 76 individuals surrendered, and 51firearms were recovered by the police.

The PNP’s future plans include strengthening boundary control through strong partnership and collaboration with local government units (LGUs) and relevant agencies, establishing the PNP Cyber Security Center, continuing capacity building of personnel in the Anti-Cybercrime Group, and strengthening of international cooperation and coordination in the fight against transnational crimes. (PND)