Davao City’s crime index rate dropped from 13 in 2016 to 1.9 in 2021, according to Mayor Inday Sara Duterte during her Valedictory and State of the City Address (SOCA) streamed live on the City Government of Davao Facebook page on March 17, 2021.
“The efforts of our Davao City Police Office led to a decrease in the city’s total crime rate from 2016 to 2021,” she said.
DCPO was also recognized as the National Best Police Office for 2017 and 2020 by the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The city also received special recognition as the Most Peaceful and Safest City in Southeast Asia by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) while the Manila Times also recognized Davao City as the Philippine Top Model City, and got the Safe Haven Award.
Mayor Duterte said the City Government of Davao started the construction of nine new police stations, including one tourist police office, across the city to boost police visibility.
Two police stations were opened in Ma-a and Ecoland in February 2022 and also operationalized Police Station 16 Ma-a, Police Station 19 in Eden, and Police Station 20 in Los Amigos.
The mayor also attributed the zero-terror incidents since September 3, 2016, through the efforts of the Task Force Davao that launched the Culture of Security and “May Nakita? Dapat Magsalita!” Campaign. It can be recalled that the Roxas Night Market bombing happened on September 2, 2016, leaving 17 people dead and 74 others wounded.
In September 2017, the city formed the Davao City Local Peace Committee to put an end to the atrocities committed by the New People’s Army even before the creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in 2018.
Government services and private sector initiatives were brought to the residents in Paquibato, then known as an NPA stronghold, through the DC Peace that eventually became Peace 911.
“We opened direct lines from the community to the Mayor’s Office, built more roads and bridges, empowered residents with various projects and skills training, provided a gateway for them to sell their produce, and even employed former members of underground mass organizations as peacebuilders to help the local government sustain the peace. For their efforts, Peace 911 was awarded the Kapayapaan National Award in 2018 by the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Mayor Duterte said.
Former rebels underwent proper reformation with the establishment of the Kalinaw Village.
Peace 911, the DCPO, and the 1003rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army have at last freed Paquibato from the clutches of the NPA as the National Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Council (JPSCC) of the AFP and the PNP officially declared the NPA Guerilla front 55 in Paquibato dismantled.
The Tabangan Atong Reformist Aron Naay Asenso, community-based rehabilitation, and after-care program (TARA NA – CBRAP), was also launched in 2016 to provide aftercare support and help prevent the recurrence of drug abuse among surrenderers. Since then, at least 6,953 individuals have returned to society with the support of their families, barangays, faith-based groups, schools, and other partners.
Meanwhile, the Davao City government assisted the victims of the Marawi siege who came to Davao City for refuge. Through Kalilintad 911, in coordination with Task Force Davao, Marawi’s internally-displaced persons were provided with psychological counseling, employment, educational and livelihood programs, and housing.
The City Government of Davao also partnered with the Interface Development Interventions, Inc. (IDIS) and the Philippine Eagle Foundation in the formation of the Bantay Bukid volunteers, to protect the city’s watersheds against illegal
activities.
The Bantay Dagat program was also created as a complementary project where volunteers are deputized to guard and conduct clean-up drives on the city’s coasts and shoreline. CIO
