Across the Philippines, during the 200-day community quarantine period, crime has plummeted, though no one is sure why.
Cases of robbery and theft decreased by 60 percent, the Philippine National Police said in early October.
It also revealed that serious crimes, including murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, and theft, were reduced by 46 percent nationwide during the same period—from March 17 to October 2.
“Translated to a daily crime average, the Philippines has recorded an average of 93 criminal incidents per day during the 200-day implementation of the community quarantine compared to 174 per day incidents of the 200-day period before the community quarantine implementation,” said Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, according to the Manila Bulletin.
Eleazar said the data continues to defy expectations and perceptions of a sudden increase in crime, particularly robbery and theft, as the coronavirus pandemic brought loss of livelihood and other economic difficulties.
