The Philippine National Police (PNP) emphasized that the country's overall crime situation cannot be assessed solely based on incidents in Metro Manila, despite recent high-profile crimes sparking public concern.PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Allan Rae Co clarified that while there was a 20.6% decline in focus crimes during the first three months of the DILG Safer Cities Initiative, this does not imply the nation is safer.The decline compared periods before and after the initiative's implementation (January 6 to April 5 vs.April 6 to July 4), with focus crimes including murder, rape, robbery, and theft.Co highlighted regional declines in areas like MIMAROPA (48.63%), Negros Island Region (45%), and Central Luzon (39.

6%), noting that Western Visayas had two days without focus crimes and 58 municipalities in the Cordillera Administrative Region reported zero incidents from July 4 to 11.

However, Co stressed that these statistics must be viewed nationally rather than confined to Metro Manila, as the Philippines encompasses diverse regions with varying crime patterns.