Angeles City has been cited by the Philippine National Police as the 5th most peaceful city in the country.
This runs counter with the earlier PNP report listing Angeles City among the top five cities with highest crime and drug incidence.
In its statement correcting an earlier report, the PNP instead listed Angeles City as among the top five cities with lowest crime rate at 27.10, after Davao City at 25.96 percent. The other cities in the top 5 are Ormoc, Cotabato and Puerto Princesa.
“I am relieved that the PNP immediately corrected itself, because figures of the local police say otherwise. According to ground reports collated by PNP-Angeles, our city in fact had lesser crime and drug cases compared to previous years,” said Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan.
Citing police reports, he said all index crimes reduced from 1,019 cases in 2016 to 795 cases in 2017, and to 324 cases in July 2018. From July 2017 to July 2018, murder was down by 22.22 percent during and robbery by 31.45 percent.
Drug related cases and arrests were also declining, according to him, from 322 cases filed and 517 arrests in 2016 to 159 cases and 283 arrests made from January to July 2018.
He also said there have been no major drug busts since the discovery of an alleged suspected and abandoned drug laboratory in Barangay Pampang in 2016.
“There were attempts to smuggle drugs through the Clark International Airport that were intercepted. But Clark is not Angeles City. It is an autonomous freeport zone,” Pamintuan said. “And as far as I know Clark authorities are in full cooperation in guarding against the entry of drugs through the airport,” he added.
According to him, Angeles City has been cited for three consecutive years as the best City Police Office (CPO) on the Regional level and among the top three best CPO on the national level for 2018, by the PNP itself.
“We should, in fact, congratulate our local police and barangay officials for being more vigilant against crime and illegal drugs,” he said.
He also said Angeles City has been consistently cited by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the PNP itself for its anti-drug programs.
In a statement earlier that was immediately withdrawn and corrected, the PNP named Angeles City among the top five cities allegedly with the highest crime records, along with Santiago City, Olongapo City, Puerto Princesa and Naga City. The PNP apologized for its mistake.
Meantime, Pamintuan called on local opposition groups not to ride on the issue. “Makukuryente lang po kayo,” he said.