THE recent claim of Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte that the number of crimes now is higher than during the time of his father, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, is fake news, two House leaders said Friday.
“So, makikita natin na talagang may disinformation din ‘yung mga pahayag ni Mayor Baste. At sana mag fact-check muna sila kaysa magpakalat ng maling impormasyon,” House Assistant Majority Leader Jay Khonghun of Zambales told a news conference.
“Mas mataas ang crime rate noong panahon ni dati pong Pangulong Duterte kaysa sa ngayon sa panahon ni Presidente BBM (Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.),” Khonghun said.
Khonghun, who chairs the House Special Committee on Bases Conversion, cited data from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
“Hindi naman nagsisinungaling ang data… ayon mismo sa ulat nga DILG, noong July 1, 2016 hanggang Abril 2018, umabot sa 196,000 plus ang naitalang crime index noong mga panahon na ‘yon. At sa ngayon, sa ilalim ni President Bongbong Marcos, bumaba ito sa 71,500 plus,” Khonghun said.
He said the Marcos administration’s success in bringing down the crime rate should be acknowledged.
“Dapat din natin kilalanin ‘yung tagumpay ng administration ng sa pagbawas ng kriminalidad. Ang pagbaba ng crime rate sa administrasyon ng ating Presidente is patuloy lamang. Meron hong epektibong pagpapatupad ng batas kumpara doon sa madugong taktika ng nakaraang administrasyon,” he added.
Another House leader, Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega V of La Union said the crime rate numbers “don’t lie,” as reflected in surveys, proving that the campaign against criminality does not have to be bloody.
“Hindi lang patungo sa kriminalidad pero po, pati sa approval po, saka sa mga iba’t-ibang surveys na ginawa. Pati po ‘yung sa social services,” Ortega said.
“Nagpapatunay lang po na hindi kailangan na maging madugo ang laban sa krimen at sabi nga rin po nila, iba po ‘yung takot ka saka meron kang takot sa batas. Mas importante ‘yung natatakot ka, may takot ka sa batas dahil na a-uphold yung rule of law, saka wala pong state of lawlessness dito sa ating bansa,” Ortega said.
In a statement last month, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Marbil said crimes in the country decreased despite recent viral social media videos of certain incidents.
He said the PNP recorded 3,528 cases of focus crimes from January 1 to Feb. 14, 2025, down 26.76 percent from 4,817 cases in the same period last year.
“Crimes may seem more visible because they go viral on social media, but what’s crucial is that the same platforms help speed up investigations and bring criminals to justice. We encourage responsible reporting – use social media as a tool for safety, not panic,” Marbil said.
Focus crimes include theft, robbery, rape, murder, homicide, physical injury, and ‘car-napping’ of motorcycles and motor vehicles.
The PNP said rape recorded the most significant decline, going down by half from 1,261 cases in early 2024 to 623 cases this year.
Year-on-year data also reflected a 7.31 percent decrease in focus crimes, with 41,717 incidents recorded in 2023 compared to 38,667 in 2024.
