PNP chief thumbs down peace index
PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde on Friday, June 8, urged members of the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) to visit the Philippines and experience the peace and order situation.
Albayalde issued the invitation after the Philippines was ranked as the second least peaceful country in Southeast Asia in the IEP Global Peace Index.
“We would like to invite them to stay here personally to see for themselves kung ano talaga ang prevailing peace and order sa ating bansa. You cannot judge a country by just mere perception, reports or tsismis coming from anybody or from the news that you see everyday,” he said.
“Hindi ito dahilan or pwede basehan. They have to go the country kung gusto talaga nila makita ‘yung peace and order situation dito they have to come here,” he added.
(The Global Peace Index should not be based mainly on reports. They have to visit the country and see for themselves the peace and order situation. They have to come here.)
The Philippines ranked 137th out of 163 countries in the 2018 GPI, one rank lower from the 2017 index.
Albayalde expressed belief that Filipinos living here do not believe in the survey as they understand that the killings related to the war on drugs are part of the law enforcement operations to maintain the peace and order in the region.
The IEP, which conducts such survey yearly, said the Philippines has “suffered particularly badly as President (Rodrigo) Duterte continued his assault on alleged drug dealers and from the fivemonth battle between government forces and Islamic militants who took over the city of Marawi.” (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/ SunStar Philippines)