Philippines crime rate down by 55 per cent, thanks to lockdown

Members of the Philippine National Police check papers during security checks as they cross between Taguig and Makati City in Metro Manila, the Philippines, on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. - Bloomberg

MANILA (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN): The crime volume in the country in the last 24 days dropped by 55 per cent or 1,852 fewer crimes, the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced.

Data released by the Joint Task Force Covid-19 Shield on Friday showed that from the 3,361 crimes recorded from Feb 22 to March 16 — also a period of 24 days — the number went down to 1,509 from March 17 to April 9,2020.

The data covers what the PNP considers as focus crimes – murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, and theft of motor vehicles.

Luzon, the country’s most populous island, recorded the biggest crime rate decrease (62 per cent) followed by the Visayas (51 per cent) and Mindanao (42 per cent.)

The entire island of Luzon was placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) since March 17, restricting more than 50 million Filipinos in their homes in a bid to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

The Luzon-wide ECQ has been extended to April 30,2020.

Some areas in Visayas and Mindanao were also placed under ECQ or other community quarantine levels. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network