MANILA, Philippines—Compare these two statements.
Total crime volume in the Philippines dropped by nearly half, or 49.43 percent, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP), a report by Philippine News Agency (PNA) last February said.
Just last Friday (June 25), President Rodrigo Duterte suggested that qualified civilian anti-crime groups be allowed to arm themselves to help the PNP.
The PNA report quoted Maj. Gen. Marni Marcos, head of the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM), as saying the “significant decline” in what Marcos said were eight focus crimes was due to the enforcement of COVID lockdowns nationwide.
The decline in focus …
Keep on reading: Arming civilians: Idea follows PNP’s anti-crime success claim