The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday reported an increase in rape and homicide cases in the first week of this month compared to the last week of December.

But it noted a decrease in the five other focus crimes – murder, physical injury, robbery, theft, and carnapping of motorcycles.

The PNP logged 83 rape cases across the country from Jan. 1 to 7, up 7.79 percent from 77 recorded in Dec. 25 to 31.

Most of these cases were committed by suspects under the influence of liquor and mainly neighbors and online friends.

“Most of the relationships of victims with the suspects are neighbors and online friends,” the PNP said.

Victims were raped in houses and condominiums and forced, threatened, and intimidated.

“There was a shift on modes of commission from victims being deprived of reason, to force, threat, and intimidation mostly in residential (house and condominium units) areas,” the PNP said.

Most of the rape cases happened in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) areas.

Homicide cases increased from 23 in Dec. 25 to 30 to 25 from Jan. 1 to 7 or 8.7 percent.

Jealousy and heated arguments were the main causes for these incidents mostly using pointed and bladed weapons in Metro Manila, Calabarzon, and Central Mindanao.

However, other focus crimes were consistently on the decline during these two comparative periods – murder by 10 percent from 110 to 99; physical injury by 12.26 percent from 106 to 93; robbery by 4.17 percent from 72 to 69; theft 7.45 percent from 161 to 149, and carnapping of motorcycles by 36 percent from 36 to 23.

Only two carnapping cases recorded in two weeks.

The PNP recorded 587 focus crime cases from Dec. 25 to 31 last year but went down by 7.5 percent as 543 were reported from Jan. 1 to 7.