Context Setting
The NCRPO also presented the crime trend in the National Capital Region (NCR) for the
period of January to July 2014, for the purpose of discussing its relation to the human rights
situation in the region.
NCRPO CRIME TREND
INDEX CRIME
5,000
4,500
4,288
4,559
4,115
4,036
4,288
4,372
4,417
4,000
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,789
1,772
1,130
1,077
January 2014
February 2014
1,956
1,862
1,936
1,934
1,143
1,140
1,168
1,113
March 2014
April 2014
May 2014
June 2014
2,088
1,500
1,000
500
1,303
0
Crime Volume
Cleared
July 2014
Solved
On illegal drugs cases alone, there were about 3,063 14 arrested persons during the
period of January to July 2014 or seventeen (17) persons arrested per day. This excludes
“hulidap” cases that are, of course, not put on official records. At this rate, it becomes common for
police stations in the NCR to sometimes be packed with detainees. And it is on these occasions
where issues on conditions and handling of detainees arise.
On the other hand, the CHR presented data on the common human rights violations on the
basis of complaints and information received by the office and as culled from media reports.
These include (1) torture and ill-treatment; (2) child abuse; (3) violence against women and
children; (4) grave abuse of authority; (5) robbery; (6) grave misconduct; (7) physical injuries; (8)
unlawful arrest; (9) arbitrary detention; (10) planting of evidence; (11) illegal demolition; and
(12) “hulidap” or extortion cases where members of the PNP are often implicated.
As regards lock-up cells, the CHR shared the following issues per initial observations: (1)
congestion; (2) lack of or poor ventilation; (3) lack of or no beds and/or beddings; (4) poorly
maintained toilet facilities; (5) lack of medicine supplies for minor illnesses or wounds; (6)
commingling of minors with adult detainees; (7) unavailable or outdated registers of detainees;
(8) ”overstaying” detainees; (9) illegal detention; 15 and (10) torture.
14
Source: PNP NCRPO during the Conference on Human Rights and the Rule of Law, August 27, 2014
There were instances where arrested persons are detained even when there is no penalty of imprisonment for
the act committed.
15
5