PNP Assures Public that Crime Rate ‘Still Low’ Amid Reported Abductions, Killings

The Philippine National Police (PNP) assured the public that the peace and order in the country is in a good state amid a number of kidnappings and killings recently, which has sparked dread and outcries from the public.

PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. announced that the crime rate in the country is steadily going down since 2010 during the Police Service anniversary celebration at Camp Capt. Julian Olivas in San Fernando City, Pampanga on Thursday.

He added that since the presidency of the late president Benigno Aquino III, the sum of the index and non-index crimes, also known as the Peace and Order Indicator has been decreasing steadily.

Moreover, Azurin appealed to the public against believing the “sensational surge” in social media reporting of some crime incidents.

The PNP chief added that many of the abduction cases spreading on social media platforms have been previously reported and have already been categorized as solved by the PNP.

Incidents spreading on social media also turn out to be rehashed or completely false, such as the recent reports of abduction in N. Bacalso Avenue in Cebu City.

“Other purported crime incidents posted in social media turned out to be either rehashed or completely false information,” Azurin said.

However, some of the abduction cases may turn out not to be completely false, as Azurin added that some of the abduction cases that are going viral on social media are being attended to by the police.

Meanwhile, Azurin said that the peace and order situation in the country is “still manageable.”

“There is no breakdown of law and order. The peace and order situation in the entire country is still manageable. There are crimes that are highlighted in different platforms but definitely, the crime rate is still low and we continuously aspire to bring it down further,” the PNP chief said.

This latest development comes as abduction videos and reports have been rampant on social media lately, with the most infamous being that of the man abducted in a gasoline station in Taal, Batangas Province, and was located already dead in Quezon Province on August 17.

In another viral social media post, four individuals were discovered dead inside an abandoned vehicle in Rodriquez, Rizal Province on August 22.

In Cebu, a viral post regarding an alleged kidnapping along Natalio Bacalso Avenue and an attempted kidnapping along Urgello Street were debunked by the Cebu City Police Office in an announcement on Tuesday, August 23.

Moreover, Balamban Police also debunked reports of an alleged abducted minor in Barangay Buanoy last Tuesday, August 23.

Police in Cebu is still urging the public to immediately report to authorities any kidnapping incident.

Meanwhile, in Naval, Biliran, a female made a public apology after a post saying she was nearly kidnapped went viral, causing Naval Mayor Gretchen Espina to launch an investigation. (GFB)