Crime recorded across the country dropped by 36.12 percent in July this year, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Data showed that recorded crimes fell from 3,458 in July 2025 to 2,209 in July this year — a decrease of 1,249 cases.

The PNP said this decline runs contrary to the perception of some that the Philippines remains in a state of disorder.

PNP Chief Pgen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. attributed this gap between the data and public perception to sensationalized crime reporting, particularly on social media.

Speaking on the matter, Nartatez said the PNP does not shy away from having incidents reported or highlighted publicly, noting that this pushes police officers to work harder on resolving cases through investigation, citing the recent shooting incident involving a vlogger as an example.

"Mas gusto natin sa PNP na ma-sensationalize o mailabas yung mga insidente na ito, lalong-lalo na kung nanggaling ito sa social media at sa PNP Press Corps, at naibabalita kaagad sa amin. Mas maganda because that is the challenge for every police officer to have an investigative solution, like what happened with the recent shooting involving our vlogger." PNP Chief said.

[We actually prefer these incidents to be sensationalized or brought out, especially if they come from social media and the PNP Press Corps, and reported to us immediately. It's better because that is the challenge for every police officer to have an investigative solution, like what happened with the recent shooting involving our vlogger.]

Nartatez said the drop in crime last month was the result of more effective police monitoring on the streets, adding that the results reflect the PNP's continuing partnership with communities and other agencies.

"These results reflect the continuing efforts of the PNP, together with our communities and partner agencies, to prevent crime, strengthen police visibility, and keep our neighborhoods safe." Nartatez added.

Beyond the drop in crime rate, the PNP also reported the results of its anti-drug and anti-criminality operations for the month.

In July alone, the PNP carried out around 5,526 anti-drug operations, leading to the arrest of 6,368 individuals and the seizure of approximately P387 million worth of illegal drugs.

On wanted persons, the PNP arrested a total of 8,199 individuals — 2,352 of whom were listed as most wanted persons, while 5,847 were other individuals sought by the law.

The PNP acknowledged that it cannot control how the public perceives the crime situation, but assured the public that it will continue its work of maintaining peace and order nationwide.

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