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DILG: Rape, physical injury, robbery incidents fall sharply in H1 2025
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) reported Friday sharp declines in the number of focus or index crimes during the first half of 2025.
In a statement by the DILG, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said incidents of focus crimes such as rape, physical injuries, and robbery logged "significant" drops from January 1 and June 6 this year compared to the same period in 2024.
Remulla reported the improved numbers during the 1st Joint National and Regional Peace and Order Council (NPOC-RPOC) meeting. He said rape incidents were down 31.85%, physical injuries by 30.21%, and robbery by 26.47%.
"Focus crimes are considered serious offenses that occur frequently and directly impact public safety," the DILG statement read.
Remulla, who also serves as the NPOC chair, also credited ongoing anti-criminality campaigns for the improved numbers. The DILG's crackdown on loose firearms, Remulla said, led to the confiscation of 12,891 illegal firearms and the arrest of 5,314 suspects, with 4,096 of them now facing court cases.
Meanwhile, authorities launched 22,649 anti-drug operations, which resulted in the arrest of 24,148 individuals and the seizure of over 200,000 grams of illegal drugs with a street value of P2.17 billion.
The DILG chief also called on newly appointed chairpersons of local and regional peace and order councils to practice good governance and ensure that security initiatives are properly planned and implemented.
Posthumous honors
Also during the meeting, the NPOC passed a resolution commending outgoing RPOC chairpersons who served from 2022 to 2025 for their leadership. Among those honored posthumously were Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and Nueva Vizcaya Governor Carlos "Caloy" Padilla.
Degamo's family has blamed his death in March 2023 on former Negros Oriental third district Representative Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr., who was recently brought back to the Philippines following his arrest and detention in Timor-Leste.
Padilla, on the other hand, was in his third and final term as governor of Nueva Vizcaya when he passed away in May 2023. Before his death, he spent 29 years as the representative of the province's lone district, including six years of service in the Batasan Pambansa.
Attendees of NPOC-RPOC meeting include senior officials in the government's security and peacekeeping cluster, including National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Romeo Brawner Jr., Philippine National Police (PNP) Deputy Chief for Administration Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr., and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) Director General Ricardo de Leon.
The joint NPOC-RPOC meeting highlighted the administration's renewed push to align national and local security priorities, boost inter-agency coordination, and sustain momentum in the fight against crime, drugs, and disorder. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
