Duterte claims drug-related crimes on the rise anew; Palace says otherwise

Former President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said the incidents of drug-related crimes has increased anew. Malacañang, however, quickly dismissed the former Philippine leader’s remark.

''It is unfortunate that drug-related crimes are on the rise again. Everyday, you can read about children being raped, people getting killed and robbed, and just recently a drug den was raided within the Malacañang Complex,'' Duterte told a Senate hearing.

''This clearly manifests that purveyors of this menace are back in business,'' Duterte added.

In response to Duterte, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin dismissed the claim and said, ''With due respect to former President Rodrigo Duterte, there is no truth to his statement that crime remains rampant in the country.''

Bersamin said data from the Philippine National Police has shown otherwise.

''There has been a widespread decline in crime across the board,'' Bersamin said. ''Moreover, we have achieved stability and maintained peace and order in our country without foregoing due process nor setting aside the basic human rights of any Filipino.''

Bersamin also said the drug raid in San Miguel, Manila, which was mentioned by the former president during a Senate hearing, was ''based on an outdated information.''

''In that case, one suspect was arrested, drug paraphernalia was seized, and his partner is now being pursued by law enforcement,'' Bersamin said.

''All of this shows that our country is safer, our people more secure, and our future more assured than ever before under the stewardship of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,'' he added.

In a separate statement, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla also belied the allegations of Duterte, saying that the country’s peace and order situation has dramatically improved.

“With utmost respect for former President Duterte's leadership, we believe that his perception of an escalating crime rate does not reflect the reality supported by concrete data,” Remulla said in a statement.

“The peace and order situation remains a top priority for the Marcos Administration, and we are committed to assuring the Filipino people that our nation is on a path toward greater stability and security,” he added.

He said that Duterte’s remarks were in contrast to data provided by the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Citing the PNP’s report, the Justice Department said that recorded crimes decreased by 10.66% or 324,368 from July 2022 to January 2024 from the 363,075 crimes recorded between December 2020 and June 2022.

Aside from this, data also showed that there was a decline in the seven out of eight focus crimes in the country, namely cases rape, physical injury, robbery, murder, car napping, and homicide.

The DOJ said that only theft cases increased by 4.79%.

In the same hearing, Duterte told lawmakers that he would take “full, legal” responsibility” on the killings under his violent drug campaign.

Speaking before the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee, Duterte, who asked the panel for him to be treated as a “witness,” defended the police officials who executed the drug war, saying he himself will take responsibility for the drug war killings during his administration. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News