The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reported significant improvements on the peace and order situation in the country last year.
“The fortified synergy among members of the DILG family has played a pivotal role in creating tranquil and secure LGUs, towards improving the national crime situation,” the DILG said in its year-end report as of November 2023.
Citing a data from the Philippine National Police (PNP), the DILG said there was improvement in the country’s crime environment with a decrease in the number of total crime incidents by 0.14 percent and an increase in the Crime Solution Efficiency (CSE) by 1.38 percent after fully easing the pandemic restrictions.
Similarly, there was a decline in the volume of both index and non-index crimes from January to November 2023 compared to the same period last year, the DILG said in its report.
The DILG also reported a decrease of 8.44 percent and 7.32 percent in the country’s index and non-index crime volume, respectively, which highlighted improvement in seven of the eight focus index crimes.
The interior department also mentioned its efforts to strengthen Peace and Order Councils (POCs) in the country, as it recognized the importance of local institutions as active partners in the government’s peace and order drive.
These councils were tasked to devise and execute strategic measures and initiatives to improve the peace and order and public safety situation in their respective areas of responsibility, particularly in addressing issues related to criminality and insurgency.
In the campaign against illegal drugs, the DILG said since the institutionalization of the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy (PADS) in 2018 to strategically align with the government’s anti-illegal drug programs, it made a commit to strengthen its Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (ADACs) and attaining its commitments under PADS.
This includes continuous monitoring of the Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation Program (CBDRP), establishment of Special Drug Education Centers and Programs, and capacitating and tracking LGUs’ anti-illegal drugs commitments.
In the CBDRP Quarterly Report, a total of 17,128 individuals were taken in custody based on the submission of eight out of 17 regions as of December 12, 2023.
Also, there’s a total of 10,169 new CBDRP participants, 579 re-admitted participants and a total of 17,561 graduates.
Among the DILG’s programs to combat the illegal drug problem include the BIDA Program, conduct of the 2022 ADAC Performance Audit, Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP) and Amendment Drug Free Workplace Policy, Training-of-Trainers and Roll-out Orientation on the BIDA Program, and ADAC Performance Audit Policy and BDCP Policy.
Also part of the agency’s thrust include Strengthening Institutional Capacities of Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (SICAP- BADAC) and Capacity Development Orientation for Province without Special Drug Education Centers (SDECs). PND
