Crime rate in Metro Manila lower on Holy Week than in previous weeks

By Ronron
March 24, 2008

The crime rate in the Metro Manila during the Holy Week, especially crimes against persons, was notably lower compared to the previous two weeks, the police chief in the capital said Monday.

“Last week, Holy Week, Metro Manila was relatively peaceful,” Director Geary Barias of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) declared in a news conference yesterday.

According to him, the number of crimes from March 15-21 was only 117, which is fewer than the 179 reported from March 1 to 7, and the 148 from March 8 to 14.

Specifically, while the crimes against properties were almost the same over the three-week period (89-90-89), crimes against persons posed a big reduction – 90 on the first week, 58 on the second week, and 28 last week.

Consistently, the most common crime against persons is physical injury, followed by murder.

Barias said that most of the crime incidents last week happened in the areas of the Southern and Northern Police Districts, although in the previous two weeks, the Quezon City Police District topped this category.

Asked where will police attribute the “relatively peaceful situation” last week, Barias said: “It’s more of the blessedness of the Lenten season, aside from our deployment of policemen in bus stations, churches and other crowded places.”

As of 4pm Sunday, the entire Philippine National Police (PNP) has already gone down to the normal alert status from heightened level, noting “the successful public safety and security operations during the traditional Holy Week retreat holiday.”

But it will maintain its Operation Plan Bantay Lakbay until May for the fiesta celebrations in different parts of the country, and on the first week of June when classes resume./DMS