The index crime in the country went down in the first five months of 2023, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said on Monday.

In a statement, Acorda said the index crime incident plummeted by 10.59 percent — with 13,469 crime incidents recorded from January 1 to May 13 as compared to 15,064 during the same period in 2022.

The monthly index crime rate stood at 12.69 percent in 2023 from 13.87 in 2022, he said.

According to the PNP chief, nine focus crimes like murder, homicide, physical injury, robbery, theft, rape, and carnapping of motor vehicles declined by 10.66 percent — from 14,990 cases in 2022 to 13,392 cases in 2023.

“This continuing decrease of incidents is attributed to the consistent implementation of numerous policies, such as intensified police visibility, intelligence-driven operations, community-based programs, strengthened partnerships with other agencies, and improved crime reporting and monitoring systems,” Acorda said.

He added that the 17,202 operations, conducted by the police force in the last five months, also contributed to the declining index of crime.

Written By Ailah Francisco, DZRH News Online Intern