Manila Mayor-elect Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso vowed that no criminal will be safe in Manila, with his leadership promising to strengthen government presence and law enforcement to ensure the city’s safety for all.
On Friday, May 30, Domagoso said criminals become bolder when they do not feel the government’s presence.
However, if they know the authorities and government are always alert and watching, they will think twice before committing any crimes.
“Kapag walang nararamdamang gobyerno ang mga tolongges, malakas ang loob. But if they see that there is a government, walang kriminal ang gagawa ng masamang bagay sa isang siyudad dahil alam niya na kapag gumawa siya ng krimen, it is just a matter of time, mahuhuli siya (When criminals don’t feel the government is there, they get brave, but if they know the government is watching, they won’t do bad things because they know it’s only a matter of time before they get caught),” he said.
He added that anyone who commits a crime in Manila should expect sleepless nights.
“Kapag ginawa mo ‘yung krimen dito sa Maynila, ang ikamamatay mo puyat because hindi ka makakatulog nang mahimbing, we’ll go after you (If you commit a crime here in Manila, sleepless nights will kill you— you won’t be able to sleep peacefully, because we’ll be coming after you),” Domagoso stated.
The mayor-elect emphasized, “Walang ligtas na kriminal sa Maynila (No criminals are safe in Manila).”
On May 24, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said that the index crimes in Metro Manila went down by 23 percent in the past six months and attributed the decline to the implementation of strategic measures that focus on police visibility and quick response.
Index crimes cover crimes against persons, particularly murder, homicide, rape and physical injuries. They also cover crimes against property, particularly robbery, theft, carnapping, and motorcycle theft.
Based on the NCRPO data, murder cases fell from 208 to 156, a 25 percent reduction; while homicide dropped by 19.18 percent. Physical injuries by 25.75 percent and rape by a significant 29.28 percent.
On the other hand, theft declined by 25.51 percent while robbery cases went down by 16.99 percent. Carnapping of motor vehicles saw an 11.11 percent decrease.