NCR murder, homicide cases 54 percent down – NCRPO

Murder and homicide cases in Metro Manila declined by 50 percent in the first six months of 2018, according to the Philippine National Police - National Capital Region Police Office (PNP-NCRPO).

The number of killings, however, in the first two years of the Duterte administration is still higher than those recorded in the past administration.

From July 2014 to June 2016, a total of 1,621 murder cases were reported in Metro Manila.

The figure had ballooned to 3,435 from July 2016 to June 30, 2018, or a 112 percent increase.

Critics attribute the big jump on murder cases to the war on drugs that started on July 2016 wherein vigilante groups were reportedly compeled to kill suspected drug pushers and users that sometimes led to the death of innocent civilians, including children, as collateral damage.

Based on the data from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), murder cases in Metro Manila from January to June this year dropped to 451, from 832 cases covering the same period last year, representing a 54 percent decrease.

Homicide cases in the fiorst half of 2018 also dropped by 45 percent, from 242 last year or 108 this year.

Nationwide, more than 4,200 drug suspects were reported killed in various police operations since the government launched its relentless war on drugs.

Some 60 police officers are also reported killed, so far.