SPEAKER Martin Romualdez lauded the PNP for what he called “stronger and smarter” law enforcement under the leadership of Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, citing the significant drop in focus crimes nationwide and the swift arrest of the suspect in the road rage shooting in Antipolo City last Sunday.
“I commend the PNP, under the leadership of Gen. Marbil, for demonstrating stronger, smarter policing—from the sharp drop in focus crimes nationwide to the swift arrest of the Antipolo road rage suspect,” he said. “When criminals are caught within minutes—not days—it sends a powerful message: there are no safe havens for lawbreakers in this country.”
The Speaker cited PNP data which showed a 26.76 percent drop in focus crimes—from 4,817 cases between January 1 and February 14, 2024, to 3,528 in the same period this year.
Focus crimes include theft, robbery, rape, murder, homicide, physical injury, and motor vehicle theft, including motorcycles. The crime of rape particularly had the sharpest decline, dropping by over 50 percent.
Year-on-year data also showed a 7.31 percent drop in focus crimes, from 41,717 cases in 2023 to 38,667 in 2024.
Romualdez credited Marbil for implementing reforms that have improved crime prevention strategies and response times, saying these efforts “are helping restore public confidence in law enforcement and proving that the rule of law is alive and working.”
The Speaker also commended the Antipolo City police for what he said was their “exemplary” performance in apprehending the road rage shooting suspect, Kenneth Alajar Bautista, a 28-year-old businessman.
The policemen who were earlier awarded the Medalya ng Kagalingan for their exemplary law enforcement response were Lt. Orlando Santos Jalmasco, Chief M/Sgt. Ranel Delos Santos Cruz; Corporals Kaveen John Rubia Vea, Joeban Acosta Abendaño, and Niño Cipriano Chavez; and Patrolmen Reylan Rivarez De Chavez, Michael Keith Lalican Panganiban, and John Mark Bacli Manahan.
