BERNARD L.

HERNANDEZ
HUMSS 104
INTERVENTION

Drug
Addictions
The Manila Declaration on the Drug
Problem in the Philippines
When Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte assumed office in 2016, his government launched an
unprecedented campaign against illegal drugs. The drug problem in the Philippines has primarily been
viewed as an issue of law enforcement and criminality, and the government has focused on
implementing a policy of criminalization and punishment. The escalation of human rights violations has
caught the \attention of groups in the Philippines as well as the international community. The Global
Health Program of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), a non-profit network of 50
universities in the Pacific Rim, held its 2017 annual conference in Manila. A special half-day workshop
was held on illicit drug abuse in the Philippines which convened 167 participants from 10 economies
and 21 disciplines. The goal of the workshop was to collaboratively develop a policy statement
describing the best way to address the drug problem in the Philippines, taking into consideration a
public health and human rights approach to the issue. The policy statement is presented here.

How to Cite: Simbulan, N., Estacio, L., Dioquino-Maligaso, C., Herbosa, T. and Withers, M., 2019. The Manila
Declaration on the Drug Problem in the Philippines.Annals of Global Health, 85(1), p.26. DOI:http
://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.28

https://www.annalsofglobalhealth.org/articles/10.5334/aogh.28/
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 On drug addiction and marijuana
I have avoided writing about the “war on drugs” until today. I believe most people would agree that drug
addiction must be stopped. Even the United Nations launched a ten-year global war on drugs in 1998. I think
the different opinions lie in the methodology. Also, I view drug lords and drug pushers as criminals. I see
drug addicts as victims of a sickness that is curable with the proper care. My interest in writing about this
topic was sparked by an article I recently read: “The War On Drugs: A Conflict As Old As Humanity” by Ian
Morris. In his article he says: “Ancient Peruvians were using the San Pedro cactus, which contains
mescaline, 9,000 years ago. Excavators suspect that the oldest evidence of bread production, at Shubayca, in
Jordan about 13,000 years ago was a by product of brewing beer, and archaeologists have long speculated
that Ice Age cave painters, some dating back 40,000 years, under hallucinogens. Given the difficulties of
detecting drug use in the archaeological record and the fact that fully modern human behavior began only
60,000 years ago, it’s probably safe to say that drugs have always been with us.”
Drugs, like opium, have also influenced history. China is now said to be one of the major sources of drugs. But it was
the British who introduced opium to China. In the late 18th century, the British East India Company started smuggling
opium from India into China. The Chinese Emperor passed several edicts against opium in 1729 to 1831. But the trade
flourished and even the Americans joined by bringing opium from Turkey to China. Opium trade is estimated to have
resulted in four to 12 million Chinese drug addicts and devastated the large coastal cities. In 1839, the Chinese Emperor
sent a letter to the Queen of England asking to halt the opium trade. His plea was ignored and he issued an edict
ordering the seizure of all opium in Canton.

“
These acts eventually led to the Opium War of 1856-1860 wherein British forces fought for the legalization of the
opium trade. The British were able to force China to grant more treaty ports under the control of foreign governments
and the opium trade continued to flourish. Drugs are actually chemicals that can affect the body and the brain. Different
drugs have different effects. Some drugs have health consequences that are long lasting or permanent. All misused
drugs can affect the brain. They cause large amounts of dopamine – a neurotransmitter that helps regulate our emotions,
feelings and motivations of pleasure to produce a “high”. Drugs can change how the brain works and change behavior.
Over time this behavior can turn into substance dependence or drug addiction.
Can addiction be treated successfully? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), addiction is a
treatable disorder. Can addiction be cured? Like other chronic diseases such as heart or asthma or kidney, treatment for
drug addiction usually is not a cure. But addiction can be managed successfully. Treatment enables people to counteract
addiction’s disruptive effects on their brain and behavior and regain control of their lives.
If after treatment or recovery, there is a relapse to drug use, does this mean it has failed? No, because the chronic
nature of addiction means that for some people, relapse or a return to drug use after an attempt to stop, can be part
of the process. If people stop following their medical treatment plan, they are likely to relapse. According to NIDA,
the relapse rate for drug use are similar to the rates for other chronic medical illnesses. The most important thing to
remember about treatment of drug addiction is that like treatment of chronic diseases, it involves changing deeply
rooted behaviors. For example, heart or kidney disorders mean changing diets, alcohol, taking regular medication
and having regular check ups. When a person recovering from an addiction relapses, it means that the person must
immediately speak with their doctor or psychologist to resume treatment, modify it or try another treatment. Since
drug addiction is an illness, NIDA states that research has shown that when treating addiction, medication is the
first and necessary line of treatment. This should be combined with some form of behavioral therapy or
counselling.
Several other organizations, like the American Medical Association (AMA) and the
World Health Organization (WHO) consider drug addiction as a disease.
 Marijuana
Whether as a joke or not, President Duterte’s comment about marijuana has brought this subject to public
attention. Firstly, marijuana is a name for the cannabis plant. Secondly, the legalizing of cannabis has
become a global topic. While the use of cannabis for recreational purpose is prohibited in most countries,
many countries have adopted a policy of decriminalization. This means that simple possession is a non-
criminal offense. The medical use of cannabis have been legalized in many countries –Australia, Canada,
Chile, Colombia, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Sri Lanka and the United
Kingdom including 33 states in the United States. Uruguay, Canada and ten states in the United States have
fully legalized the consumption and sale of cannabis for recreational use.There have been many reasons
advanced for legalizing cannabis. Two of the most compelling are the following. First, cannabis has
legitimate medical benefits. Among the afflictions that cannabis has been shown to alleviate are epilepsy,
pain from AIDS, nausea from chemotherapy, Crohn’s disease, muscle spasms related to multiple sclerosis.
The other reason is that cannabis is less harmful than alcohol or tobacco; and is even less addictive. The
New York Times explains that cannabis has never been directly linked to any serious disease the way
tobacco has with cancer or alcohol with cirrhosis. Perhaps it is time for the Philippines to consider legalizing
marijuana or cannabis at least for medical use.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.philstar.com/opinion/article/2018/12/09/1875388/drug-addiction-and-
marijuana/amp/
 Drug Addiction in the Philippines
Drug Problems in the Philippines
￮ Reports of drug related crime are common in the Philippines media. The main concern tends to be towards Shabu
which gets the most media attention. It does seem that illegal drug use is on the rise, and this has worrying implications
for the future. There is an urgent need to educate young people as to the dangers of drug use, and there is also a great
need to help those who are already addicted to escape their misery. Failure to do this could mean there will be further
deterioration within many Filipino communities.

￮ Statistics for Drug Problems in the Philippines

￮ A US government report in 2009 concluded that illegal drug use was a significant problem in the Philippines due to
corruption and poor law enforcement. There was particular concern expressed about the amount of methamphetamine
(shabu) and cannabis production in the area. Drug addiction appears to be on the rise in the Philippines. There are
believed to be as many as 6.7 million drug abusers according to figures from 2004- this is a dramatic increase from
1972 when there was only believed to have been around 20,000 drug users in the Philippines. The drug that is most
abused in the Philippines continues to be Alcohol – they are the second highest consumers of alcoholic drinks in South
East Asia.
 Most Commonly Abused Drugs in the Philippines
The most commonly abused drugs in the Philippines include: * Alcohol * Marijuana *
Heroin * Cocaine * Methamphetamine (locally known as Shabu) * Inhalants such as
nitrates and gasoline. These can be a cheap way for people to get high. * Opium * Ecstasy
(MDMA)

Concerns for Shabu Abuse

One of the most abused drugs in the Philippines is a local type of methamphetamine mixed with caffeine known as
Shabu. This stimulant is believed to be the drug of choice for 90% of the Philippines illegal substance users. This is a
powerfully addictive drug that can cause people to have intense hallucinations and become extremely paranoid. Some
users of this drug have even jumped off high rise buildings because they believed they could fly. Shabu didn’t arrive in
the Philippines until the mid eighties, but it soon became hugely popular among drug users. Methamphetamine causes
feelings of euphoria and the user feels full of energy.
 Problems Related to Drug
Addiction
Drug abuse leads to many * Those who abuse these drugs can * If the drug addict is unable to escape this
problems such as: struggle to keep down a job. They may behavior it is highly likely to lead to their
* The individual does not have to be become unemployable. * Young people death. This individual will shorten their
abusing a substance like Shabu long who use these substances will be unable to lifespan as a result of their behavior. * Illegal
before they become addicted. * Those perform well in school or college. This drug users run the risk of overdose. It can be
individuals who become addicted can means that they will be limiting their difficult to assess the strength of illegal
future opportunities. * When drug users
become obsessed with their habit. drugs, and it can be similar to playing a
run out of money to feed their habit they
This means that everything else in will be tempted to turn to crime. This may game of Russian roulette every time the
their life will take second place. * mean stealing from family and friends or addict uses these substances – it is even
The individual’s behavior will from complete strangers. * Many addicts possible for people to die of an overdose
change. They may become physically fall into a life of crime and eventually end after only trying illegal drugs one time.
violent or engage in other types of up in prison or worse.
bad behavior. 9
Cost of Drug Addiction in the Philippines
The cost of drug addiction is high for the Philippines and it involves:
• A great deal of domestic violence is associated with drug abuse.
* A huge proportion of criminal acts are committed by individuals who are trying to satisfy their drug habit.
* The economy suffers because drug users become less productive in their jobs or they become unable to
work completely.
* The government needs to spend large amounts of money on tackling drug problems. The resources used by
law enforcement alone are a drain.
* Money that could be spent to improve the life of a family is wasted because one member is a drug addict. It
can lead to a situation where the rest of the family is living in poverty while one of them wastes thousands of
pesos each week on drugs.
• A criminal underworld had developed in order to take advantage of the desire for these illegal substances. The money made from
selling drugs is used to finance other criminal acts as well as terrorism.
* Drug addict can destroy communities. It can lead to a situation where people are afraid to leave their homes because of fear of
crime.
* The individual who falls into drug addiction can lose everything – including their own self respect. This miserable life is a waste
of human potential.

• https://alcoholrehab.com/drug-addiction/drug-addiction-in-the-philippines/article
 Social, Political and Economic Context
of Illegal Drug Abuse in the Philippines
Drug abuse affects almost all countries of the world. In the Philippines it has reached epidemic proportions and is one of the top
priorities on the government’s agenda. However, there are many questions to be answered in order to come up with a comprehensive
program to address this problem. This study will attempt to determine the economic, political, and social context of the use of illegal
drugs in the Philippines. The prevalence of illegal drugs in the Philippines has not been accurately determined. However, estimates
by the UNODC showed the annual prevalence for marijuana is 3.5 percent, amphetamine-type stimulants 2.8 percent, and ecstasy .
01 percent of the population above 15 years of age. According to the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report 2003, it is
estimated that there are 1.8 million drug users in the Philippines, which is equivalent to 2.2 percent of the population. There are a
variety of factors that influence illegal drug prevalence in the Philippines, namely geographic factors that make patrolling and
protecting the country from smugglers of methamphetamine and planters of marijuana difficult; economic factors such as poverty;
social factors such as the phenomenon of the overseas contract worker; media exposure and the decreasing moral fabric of the
society; and political factors such as policies, drug laws, and enforcement.
Conclusion:Drug abuse in the Philippines is multifactorial, and there is a need to study these different factors.
Furthermore, there is an immediate need to do an epidemiologic study of the extent of drug abuse, which will
significantly help fulfill the need for policy, treatment, and prevention.
Abstract Year: 2004
Abstract Region: Pacific
Abstract Country: Philippines

https://www.drugabuse.gov/international/abstracts/social-political-economic-context-illegal-drug-abuse-in-philippines
Homicide
 Murder/Homicide
In 2014, the Philippines has a murder rate of 9.84 per 100,000 people, with a number of 9,784 recorded cases. The country also
has the highest rate of murder cases in Southeast Asia in 2013, with a rate of 8.8, followed by Thailand. The murder rate in the
Philippines reached its peak in 2002 and 2010, with rates of 8.1 (6,553 cases) and 9.5 (8,894 cases). 

The human rights crisis in the Philippines unleashed since President Rodrigo Duterte took office in June 2016 deepened in
2018 as Duterte continued his murderous “war on drugs” in the face of mounting international criticism.
In March, Duterte announced that the Philippines would withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) “effective
immediately” in response to the ICC’s move in February to launch a preliminary examination of “drug war” killings to
determine whether to open a full-blown investigation.
Duterte sought to silence his critics via various means. His most prominent critic, Senator Leila de Lima, remained in
detention on politically motivated drug charges. In May, the Philippine Supreme Court took unprecedented action to remove
Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, apparent reprisal for her criticism of Duterte’s “drug war” and other abusive policies. In
September, Duterte revoked the amnesty given to Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, another Duterte critic, by the previous
administration for leading mutinies in 2003 and 2007 when he was a naval officer; in October, a Manila court denied a
Department of Justice petition to issue a warrant for his arrest.
In November, in a rare triumph of accountability in the Philippines, a Manila court found three police officers guilty for the
murder of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos in August 2017. The killing, which was caught on surveillance camera, sparked
outrage against the “drug war.” In September, a court in Bulacan province convicted ex-army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan and
two other military men for the kidnapping and illegal detention of Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan, two student activists
who were allegedly abducted, raped, and tortured by military agents in 2006. The two women remain missing.
Extrajudicial Killings
￮ The Duterte administration’s “war on drugs” continued in 2018 and expanded into areas outside the capital, Metro
Manila, including to the provinces of Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, and the cities of Cebu and General Santos.
￮ According to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), 4,948 suspected drug users and dealers died during
police operations from July 1, 2016 to September 30, 2018. But this does not include the thousands of others killed by
unidentified gunmen. According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), 22,983 such deaths since the “war on drugs”
began are classified as “homicides under investigation.”
￮ The exact number of fatalities is difficult to ascertain because the government has failed to disclose official documents
about the “drug war.” It has issued contradictory statistics and, in the case of these “homicides under investigation,”
stopped releasing the figures altogether.
￮ Masked gunmen taking part in killings appeared to be working closely with police, casting doubt on government claims
that most killings have been committed by vigilantes or rival drug gangs.
￮ Duterte has vowed to continue his anti-drug campaign until his term ends in 2022. In July 2018, he again pledged to
continue the “war on drugs,” saying “it will be as relentless and chilling as on the day it began.”
￮ Duterte has also vowed to protect police officers and agents carrying out the “drug war” from prosecution. Except for a
few high-profile cases, the killings have not been investigated.
Human Rights
Defenders
￮ Since February 2017, Senator Leila de Lima has been jailed on politically motivated drug charges filed
against her in apparent retaliation for leading a Senate inquiry into the “drug war” killings. Her plight has
prompted international expressions of support.
￮ In September, Duterte ordered the arrest of a colleague of de Lima’s, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, by
revoking his amnesty, forcing him to remain at the Senate premises for weeks. In October, a Manila
court dismissed the government’s petition to issue the arrest warrant against Trillanes. Trillanes has
been Duterte’s most vocal critic since de Lima, accusing the president and his family of corruption.
￮ In February, the Department of Justice issued a petition that labeled more than 600 people—among
them Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, the United Nations special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples,
and dozens of leftist activists—as members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its
armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA). That action put those individuals at risk of extrajudicial
execution. Tauli-Corpuz called the allegation “baseless, malicious and irresponsible.” In August, a
Manila court removed her name from the petition.
￮ Philippine presidential spokesman Harry Roque alleged in March that “some human rights groups have
become unwitting tools of drug lords to hinder the strides made by the administration.” That echoed
comments made days prior by Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano equating efforts of some
unnamed human rights organizations to stop Duterte’s murderous “war on drugs” with “being used by
drug lords.”
Children’s Rights
￮ The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) announced in June that it was
seeking to impose annual unannounced drug screening tests on teachers and
schoolchildren starting in the fourth grade. PDEA sought to justify the move as an
attempt to identify 10-year-old potential drug users so they “can get intervention
while they are still young.”
￮ Imposing drug testing on schoolchildren when Philippine police are summarily
killing alleged drug users endangers children should they fail such a drug test.
Mandatory testing may also violate children’s right to bodily integrity, constitute
arbitrary interference with their privacy and dignity, and may deter children from
attending school for reasons unrelated to any potential drug use.
￮ Police have killed dozens of children since the start of the “war on drugs” in June
2016, deaths which Duterte has dismissed as “collateral damage.” In February, police
arrested three police officers implicated in the execution-style summary killing of 17-
year-old Kian Lloyd delos Santos in August 2017.
Attacks on Journalists
￮ The Duterte administration ratcheted up its attack on media freedom in
January 2018 by threatening the closure of Rappler.com, an online news
outlet critical of the “war on drugs.” In November, the Department of Justice
indicted Rappler and its editor and founder, Maria Ressa, for tax evasion.
This followed months of attacks and harassment of Rappler by the Duterte
government and its supporters.  
￮ New draft regulations by the Philippine House of Representatives in May
would allow Congress to ban reporters who “besmirch” the reputation of
lawmakers from covering the national legislature. Journalists and some
members of Congress have denounced the proposed rule as dangerously
ambiguous and stifling.
￮ The killings of journalists continued in 2018, with six murdered by unidentified
gunmen in different parts of the country.

￮ https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/Philippines/article/murder
Philippines’ ‘War on Drugs’
￮ Since taking office on June 30, 2016, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has carried out a “war on
drugs” that has led to the deaths of over 12,000 Filipinos to date, mostly urban poor. At least 2,555 of the
killings have been attributed to the Philippine National Police. Duterte and other senior officials have
instigated and incited the killings in a campaign that could amount to crimes against humanity.
￮ Human Rights Watch research has found that police are falsifying evidence to justify the unlawful
killings. Despite growing calls for an investigation, Duterte has vowed to continue the campaign.
￮ Large-scale extrajudicial violence as a crime solution was a marker of Duterte’s 22-year 
tenure as mayor of Davao City and the cornerstone of his presidential campaign. On the eve of his May
9, 2016 election victory, Duterte told a crowd of more than 300,000: “If I make it to the presidential
palace I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, holdup men, and do-nothings, you better get
out because I'll kill you.”
￮ MANILA, Philippines - While the Philippine National Police (PNP) claimed a 60 percent decrease
in crimes in Metro Manila, the number of crimes committed nationwide increased by about 46
percent during the first six months of the year as compared to the same period last year.
￮ Records from the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) showed
that theft, car theft physical injuries and rape were among the crimes that had a huge increase.
￮ The PNP said 885,445 crimes were reported from January to June, compared to 603,085 cases
during the same period last year.
\
￮ There were 352,321 index crimes for the first six months of the year, which is 37.3 percent more
than the 256,592 cases reported in the same period last year.
￮ Index crimes include murder, homicide, rape, robbery and theft while non-index crimes include
estafa, prostitution, kidnapping and car theft.

9
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￮ PNP-DIDM records indicated that from 86,451 thefts recorded in the first six months of 2014, this ballooned to 105,229
cases this year while cases of car theft jumped to 10,039 from 5,599 last year.
￮ Murders increased from 5,004 cases to 7,245 cases this year while homicides were up to 6,607 from 4,091 last year.
￮ Cases of physical injury increased to 182,886 from 122,084 last year while rapes increased to 8,288 this year from
5,069 last year.
￮ The PNP said 172,959 index crimes were “cleared” – settled between the complainant and the respondent – and
100,938 last year.
￮ Index crimes “solved” – meaning charges were filed in court – were reported at 134,074 cases this year compared to
\
74,172 last year.
￮ The PNP earlier announced that crime rate in Metro Manila was reduced by 60 to 70 percent due to the systematic
implementation of Oplan Lambat-Sibat, an anti-crime drive supervised by Interior and Local Government Secretary
Manuel Roxas II.
￮ Roxas and the PNP announced a plan to implement Oplan Lambat-Sibat in Central Luzon and Calabarzon (Cavite,
Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon).
￮ Under Oplan Lambat-Sibat, police officers set up surprise checkpoints, raid or visit the homes of delinquent gun owners,
intensify intelligence-gathering and operations against organized crime groups and aggressively pursue fugitives.
￮ The PNP also puts pressure on officials who head city and municipal police forces as well as station and precinct
commanders to produce results in the fight against crime.
￮ https://www.philstar.com/metro/2015/08/02/1483869/philippine-crime-rate-46/article/homicide

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CRIME IN THE PHILIPPINES
The Philippines has a relatively high crime rate. Guns are widespread, violent crime is common and Manila was once voted
the kidnapping capital of Asia. Pickpockets operate on crowded streets and buses and snatch-and-run thieves on
motorscooters operate in Manila. Foreigners are sometimes the targets of scams involving prostitutes and gangsters, sleight-
of-hand money changing tricks and credit card fraud. Outside the cities there is some banditry. Volunteer workers,
missionaries and tourists have been kidnapped and in rare cases murdered. Kidnapping gangs have targeted foreigners. Be
cautious of "express kidnaping" in which a tourist flags down a taxi driven by a criminal who works with an armed accomplice
and forces the tourist to withdraw money from an ATM. Beware of taxis with people other than the driver.
 Theft is the most common crime. Because the Philippines has a cash economy, thieves and pick-pockets can easily gain
access to thousands of pesos. Petty thieves are unlikely to be apprehended unless a theft is discovered immediately.
Ordinary break-ins are also a problem. Some foreigners have had their house broken into the very first night they stayed
there. Another common crime is murder, which often is committed under the influence of alcohol. Guns are readily available.
About 70 percent of the population on the main southern island of Mindanao own guns. “Police statistics indicate an average
of 130 auto thefts in Metro Manila each month, often targeting sports utility and other luxury vehicles. Many crimes, including
kidnapping-for-ransom, are not reported due to widespread distrust of authorities who are often behind the crimes and
possible reprisals. [Source: everyculture.com, Joel D Adriano, Asia Times, August 17, 2010, ]
Shootings are routine events. Bank robberies and kidnappings are common way to make money in Manila. Five days before
U.S. President Clinton and 17 other world leaders were scheduled to arrived in the Philippines for a major summit in the
1990s, a pipe bomb and hand grenades with a timing device were found at Manila airport and the meeting place for the
summit. Some Filipinos claim that the high crime is the result of the colonial influence of the U.S .
￮ Seth Mydans wrote in the New York Times, “Street crime, violent bank robberies, carjackings and kidnappings have
added an atmosphere of lawlessness. "There is a sense that anyone can get away with anything," a local journalist said.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines recently issued a pastoral letter criticizing widespread criminality, the
involvement of the police in major crimes and "the apparent incapacity of Government authorities to prevent them or
punish the perpetrators." [Source: Seth Mydans, New York Times, March 17, 1996]
￮  In 2010, Joel D Adriano wrote in the Asia Times, “Many crimes in the Philippines are linked to the country's high poverty
rate. As much as one-third of the population live in poverty, according to some estimates. Economic desperation has
recently been aggravated by the global economic recession and the severe flooding in Manila and surrounding areas last
year. That's compounded by a lack of effective law enforcement. Police are often suspected of being involved in many
crimes in the Philippines, especially kidnappings for ransom. A number of suspects caught in past operations against
kidnapping rings were either active or former policemen. [Source: Joel D Adriano, Asia Times, August 17, 2010]
￮  In February 2011, Adriano wrote: “Organized crime rings have recently launched a series of car jackings and
kidnappings for ransom that have specifically targeted foreigners or Filipino emigrants who are back in the country on
holiday. The assaults have been commonly carried out by heavily armed assailants who instigate traffic accidents and
either kill or apprehend their victims within a few kilometers of Manila's international airport.” Then there’s “last month's
still unexplained bombing of a bus in the country's main financial district, Makati City. The blast killed four people and
injured 14 others. Meanwhile, media attention has focused on the grisly murders of two car dealers, where assailants
posed as drivers and killed the sellers after a test drive. Both bodies were found dumped north of Manila and burnt
beyond recognition.[Source: Joel D Adriano, Asia Times, February 5, 2011]
￮  Countries with biggest organized crime problem: 1) Columbia and Guatemala; 3) Russia; 4) South Africa; 5) Venezuela;
and 6) the Philippines. [Source: Executive Survey of 60 countries]

￮ http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Philippines/sub5_6f/entry-3908.html/article
￮ Philippines - Homicide rate
￮ In 2017, homicide rate for Philippines was 8.4 cases per 100,000 population. Though Philippines
homicide rate fluctuated substantially in recent years, it tended to increase through 1998 - 2017
period ending at 8.4 cases per 100,000 population in 2017.
￮ PNP: Murder rate in Metro Manila up 112 percent
￮ MANILA- The nationwide crime rate from July 2016 to June 2018 dropped by 21.48 percent compared to the same
period from 2014 to 2016, Philippine National Police (PNP) data showed.
￮ A total of 1,040,987 crimes were reported from July 2016 to June 2018, lower than the 1,325,789 cases reported during
the same period in 2014 to 2016.
￮ Crimes against persons like homicide, physical injuries, and rape also went down, except for murder which saw an
increase of 19,210 or 1.50 percent during the last two years. 
￮ The murder rate in Metro Manila soared by around 112 percent or 3,444 from July 2016 to June 2018, significantly higher
than the 1,621 murder cases from July 2014 to June 2016, according to the PNP.
￮ Murder cases went up by 35.48 percent in the Ilocos region, 3.20 percent in Central Luzon, and 1.4 percent in the
Cordilleras.
￮ In terms of homicide, the Soccsksargen region recorded the most number of cases with 720 from July 2016 to June 2018
compared to the 267 cases recorded two years prior.
￮ The number of homicide cases in Metro Manila, meanwhile, saw a slight decline to 990 from 1,006 from 2014 to 2016.
￮ PNP spokesperson Senior Supt. Benigno Durana said the drop in crimes in the last two years shows
the effective crime solution employed by the PNP on the war on drugs. 
￮ “The Duterte administration hit it right, meaning they hit the nail to the head ika nga, so to speak. That if
you’re going to reduce crime, improve the peace and order, sense of public safety of the people, deal
with the problem on illegal drugs, and we will make our communities safer than before,” Durana said.
￮ Crimes against property like robbery, carnapping, and theft went down by around 50 percent during the
same period, according to PNP data.
￮ The index crime solution efficiency rate went up from July 2014 to June 2016 from 32.04 percent to
37.73 percent from July 2016 to June 2018.
￮ The crime solution efficiency rate also improved from 51.44 percent from July 2014 to June 2016 to
62.13 percent from July 2016 to June 2018.
￮ Cases involving special laws including illegal drugs went down to 231,083 from 257,494 cases from
2014 to 2016.
￮ "In terms of result and in terms of capability of our law enforcement agencies, there is an increase as
far as capability of our law enforcement agencies, police personnel in terms of solving crimes and filing
it in court, malaking improvement,” Durana said.

￮ https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/19/18/pnp-crime-rate-drops-but-murder-rate-up-in-2-years/article120156/
￮ 4 Classifications of Homicide
￮ Although the term ‘murder’ is sometimes used interchangeably with homicide, there are actually
several other categories included under the umbrella of the criminal charge homicide. These
different classifications of homicide vary due to the alleged intent of the person charged with the
crime, the severity of the crime, and the penalties levied against the person if convicted. At 
Alexander & Associates the attorneys understand that it’s hard to face homicide charges in
Lewisville, but knowing your rights can help you feel more in control.
4 Classifications of Homicide
￮ Capital Murder.
￮ Manslaughter.
￮ Criminally Negligent Homicide.
￮ Murder.
￮ If convicted of one of these charges, a person might be facing a number of serious legal penalties.
Very frequently, conviction comes with a sentence that involves decades or life in jail, sometimes
without the option for parole. Because of these severe penalties, having a strong defense is critical
for anyone facing such a criminal offense.
￮ https://www.karenalexanderlaw.com/criminal-defense/articles/4-classifications-of-homicide/