EFFECTIVENESS OF CRIME PREVENTION AND THE STATUS OF CRIMES

IN THE PROVINCE OF GUIMARAS

A Research Proposal

Presented to

Graduate School Faculty

Guimaras State University

Buenavista, Guimaras

In Partial Fulfilment

of the Requirements for

Master in Public Administration

Idel P. Hermoso

August 2022
 Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

One of the perennial problems of the community is criminality. A society

without crime is impossible and cannot be eliminated since our country is a

country of laws. The Philippine National Police (PNP) as the premiere agency in

maintaining peace and order and security have formulated various crime

prevention policies and guidelines in order to reduce if not totally prevent the

occurrence of crimes. Based on the Section 24 of RA 6975, the powers and

functions of the PNP are as follows: a) Enforce all laws and ordinances relative to

the protection of lives and properties; b) Maintain peace and order and take all

necessary steps to ensure public safety; c) Investigate and prevent crimes, effect

the arrest of criminal offenders, bring offender to justice and assist in their

prosecution; d) Exercise the general powers to make arrest, search and seizure

in accordance with the Constitution and pertinent laws; e) Detain an arrested

person for a period not beyond what is prescribed by law, informing the person

so detained of all his rights under the Constitution; f) Issue licenses for the

possession of firearms and explosives in accordance with law; g) Supervise and

control the training and operations of security agencies and issue licenses to

operate security agencies, and to security guards and private detectives, for the

practice of their professions; and, h) Perform such other duties and exercise all

other functions as may be provided by law. The other functions of the PNP based
on the Section 3 of RA 8551 “shall act as support role to the AFP in the conduct

of Internal Security Operations in the country”.

The PNP have crafted the Enhanced Managing Police Operations (EMPO)

last 2017 in order to address the prevalent crimes in the country particularly the

Crimes against Persons (Physical Injuries, Homicide, Murder, and Rape) and

Crimes against Properties (Theft, Robbery, Carnapping, and Cattle Rustling), to

include the conduct of deliberate operation against illegal activities such as but

not limited to illegal gambling, illegal drugs, illegal possession of firearms, and

arrest of wanted persons. The program of the PNP against criminality has to be

responsive to the demands of changing time. The primary goal is to reduce

crimes, improve peace and order and public safety and to improve the quality of

life. And in case that a crime cannot be prevented, the PNP has to ensure that all

incidents have to be solved through the conduct of thorough and effective

investigation. Peace and order is the foundation of economic prosperity and

stability. In the Philippine National Police and Community perception, the Crimes

against Persons and Property serve as an index on how peaceful a certain area.

The Province of Guimaras will be used as the area of the study. It is

located between the islands of Panay and Negros Islands, separated by the Iloilo

and Guimaras Straits. Although the Province of Guimaras is considered as the

most peaceful in Western Visayas if not in the whole country, still crime incidents

transpires within the province in various forms. The Guimaras Police Provincial

Office (GPPO) serves as the main agency of the government in maintaining

peace and order and security and dealing with criminality. Aside from the

criminality, the GPPO is also the lead role in the conduct of Internal Security

Operations as stated in the Joint Resolution signed between the Provincial

Government of Guimaras, PNP, and AFP last October 29, 2014, declaring the

province as insurgency cleared and ready for further development. The AFP will

act as the support role since there were no AFP camps and detachments that are

present in the Province of Guimaras. The GPPO implements the following security

and preventive measures to ensure the prevention of crimes: Checkpoint

Operations; Mobile and Foot Patrols on business establishments, places of

convergence, and terminals; Oplan Bakal to videoke bars, restaurants, and

similar places; Implementation of ordinances (provincial and municipal);

utilization of Barangay Information Networks (BINs) for information gathering;

and coordination with the LGUs and utilization of force multipliers. The crime

prevention is also one of the roles of the barangay official as stated in the

Sections 389 and 392 of the RA 7160 (Local Government Code) which is to

enforce all laws and ordinances applicable to the barangay and acts as peace

officers in the maintenance of public order and safety.

The effectiveness of crime prevention not only lies with the PNP but also

on the measures implemented by the barangay officials in their respective areas

of responsibility.
Statement of the Problem

This study aims to find out the effectiveness of crime prevention and

corrections measures by the Guimaras Police Provincial Office and the barangays

for CY 2021.

Specifically, the study will seek answers to the following questions:

1. What is the trend of the crime situation in the Province of Guimaras

for the last 5 years (CY 2017 to 2021)?

2. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of age, educational

attainment, and position?

3. Are there significant differences in the crime trend in the Province

of Guimaras for the last 5 years (CY 2017 to 2021)?

4. Is there a significant relationship between the restrictions of the

LGUs and GPPO during the COVID-19 pandemic to the crime status in the

Province of Guimaras?

Hypothesis

1. There is significant crime trend in the Province of Guimaras for the

last 5 years (CY 2017 to 2021).

2. There is significant difference in the crime status in the Province of

Guimaras in relation to crime prevention and restrictions imposed during by the

LGUs and GPPO during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Figure 1: Conceptual Framework of the Study

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

GPPO Records of
Perception of the
Crimes
respondent in terms of
the following:
 Crime Trend  Age
 Educational
 Crime Statistics Attainment
 Position
 Number of
Operational
Accomplishments
 Status of Crime
against special laws
Incidents in the
(gambling, drugs,
Barangay
firearms, etc.)

Scope and Limitation

The respondents of the study are those residing in the top 3 barangays of

every municipality in the 5 municipalities of Province of Guimaras with highest

crime incidents.

Significance of the Study

The study sought to determine the effectiveness of crime prevention

being implemented by the GPPO and barangays for the last 5 years (CY 2017 to

2021) and the effects brought by the restrictions imposed by the LGUs and GPPO

in relation to COVID-19 Pandemic.

 The study also aims to improve the crime preventive measures in the

Province of Guimaras to reduce and solve the crime incidents.

In addition, the researcher also considered the possible contribution of

this study to the following:

Community- the findings will guide the people on what will be their

contribution in maintaining the peace and order in the Province of Guimaras.

Philippine National Police- particularly those assigned in the Province

of Guimaras to help them to improve the crime preventive measures to reduce

and solve crimes.

Barangay- to instil in the minds of the barangay officials that crime

prevention does not solely rest on the PNP and to strengthen the Katarungang

Pambarangay.

Future Researches- for further study and to provide solutions to

improve crime preventive measures based on the changing time.

Definition of Terms

Barangay- (abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio

(abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and

is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan areas,

the term often refers to an inner city neighborhood, a suburb, or a suburban

neighborhood or even a borough.

Crimes- acts or omissions that are violations of the RPC and offenses which are

Violation of Special Laws.

Crime Prevention- measures employed by the PNP in order to prevent the

occurrence of crimes in a certain area.

Index Crimes- Crime which are serious in nature. Crimes which occur with

sufficient frequency and regularity that can serve as an index to crime situation

(Crimes against Persons and Properties)

Non Index Crimes- Crimes which are not listed on Index Crimes (Violations of

Special Laws, Alarms and Scandal, Malicious Mischief, etc.).

Restrictions- limiting the activities of an individual infected with a contagious

disease to prevent the spread of the disease to others (Example: restrictions

imposed by the Local Government Units to limit the movement of people and

spread of COVID-19).
 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter present the researchers review on some studies and books

that focuses on the crime prevention.

Foreign Literature

When we talk about crime and society, it becomes important to know

about both the term i.e. crime and society. So the first question to be asked is:

What is crime? According to Sudhi Ranjan Bagri (2016) A crime is an act,

omission or event, the commission of which is prohibited by law, and which if

committed leads to prosecution by and in the name of the state rather than an

individual person and, upon conviction, to punishment of some form

administered by agents of the state rather than the payment of compensation.

A crime is an act, omission or event, the commission of which is prohibited by

law, and which if committed leads to prosecution by and in the name of the state

rather than an individual person and, upon conviction, to punishment of some

form administered by agents of the state rather than the payment of

compensation. Therefore from the above definitions, we can define crime to

mean any wrong morally or socially committed by one or group of persons

against another person or state that are prohibited by the state and when

convicted punishment if inflicted by the state rather than the individual wrong

person. There are different types of crime such as; crimes against person,

crimes against property, organized crimes, occupational crimes, and political

crimes as well as corporate crimes. Crime has three main elements: 1) Crimes

are acts prohibited by law. A hidden assumption is the definition of law. 2)

Crimes so defined are prosecuted by agents of the state/government, not by

private individuals. 3) The result of conviction is a punishment, not compensation

to the injured party (if there is one). The crime is associated with “society”. The

term ‘society’ has been derived from a Latin word ‘socious’ that means

association and companionship. Thus, society means ‘A larger group of

individuals, who are associated with each other.’ According to sociologists,

society is a group of people with a common territory, interaction, and culture.

Social groups consist of two or more people who interact and identify with one

another. Crime is basically defined through the eyes of society. An act is not a

crime until society doomed it to be and if society considers some act not opposed

to their group sentiments than that act is not a crime at all. Crime is an act which

offends and threatens the society, and thus such acts need to be punished. The

basic reasons behind the making of law are to penalize those who commit a

crime and these laws are the result of society’s need to stop happening of such

acts. Crimes bring negative impacts to the society such as but not limited to 1)

hinders development in the society, 2) led to death of people, 3) destruction of

properties, and 4) it increases the cost of living in the society.

According to David Canter and Donna Youngs (2016) crimes serves as

reflection of the society. At the heart of criminal activity is an individual carrying

out illegal activity. Understanding the processes that move and shape that
activity are therefore crucial to any consideration of crime and society. The main

contributors to crimes according to the two authors are lawlessness, poverty,

drugs and prostitutions. Criminality is an integral part of how society, and its

culture, is constructed. Thinking of crime as generated by abnormal individuals

that is the responsibility of law enforcement and the judicial system is to ignore

the endemic processes that sustain it and those who deal with it on a daily basis.

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Community Policing

Services, published a Crime Prevention Research Review entitled “Does

Neighborhood Watch Reduce Crimes?”. Neighborhood Watch is often

implemented as part of a comprehensive package sometimes referred to as the

“big three” that includes Neighborhood Watch, property-marking, and home

security surveys (Titus, 1984). Some programs include other elements such as a

recruitment drive for special constables (nonsworn police officers), increased

regular foot patrols, citizen patrols, educational programs for young people,

auxiliary police units, and victim support services. How Is Neighborhood Watch

Supposed to Work? The most frequently suggested mechanism by which

Neighborhood Watch is supposed to reduce crime is by residents looking out for

and reporting suspicious activities to the police (Bennett, 1990). The link

between reporting and crime reduction usually is not elaborated in the literature.

It has been argued, however, that visible surveillance might reduce crime

because of its deterrent effect on the perceptions and decision-making of

potential offenders (Rosenbaum, 1987). Hence, watching and reporting might

deter offenders if they are aware of the likelihood of local residents reporting

suspicious behavior and if they perceive this as increasing their risks of being

caught.

Foreign Studies

According to Geason and Wilson (1988), there are four separate

categories of crime and delinquency prevention: 1) Corrective prevention

attempts to prevent crime by ameliorating social conditions which seem to

lead to crime, e.g. by reducing overcrowding, creating viable neighbourhoods,

rehabilitating slums and providing community health clinics and recreation

Facilities, 2) Punitive prevention uses police to deter crime through lawyers,

the police courts, goals and the legal system, 3) Mechanical prevention

emphasises hardware such as locks, doors and grills, and 4) Environmental

prevention manipulates building design and the relationship between

buildings and their environment to reduce opportunities for crime. Rational

choice theory- while traditional criminology tended to see criminals driven by

their conditioning and environment, more recent economics based theories

portray them as rational decision makers who base their decisions to

commit crimes on an analysis of the risks of the venture compared with the

expected profits. That is, the criminal does a cost-benefit analysis (Becker

1968). Situational crime prevention has been defined as 'the use of

measures directed at highly specific forms of crime, which involve the

management, design or manipulation of the immediate environment in as

systematic and permanent a way as possible' (Hough et al 1980). It is

sometimes referred to as 'primary prevention' or 'opportunity reduction'. As we

have pointed out, a situational approach to crime prevention has rational choice

theory as its basis. That is, it rests on the assumptions that offenders freely and

actively choose to commit crimes-, that the decision to commit the crime is made

in response to the immediate circumstances and the immediate situation in

which an offence is contemplated; and the motivation to offend is not

constant or beyond control, i.e. it is dependent on a calculation of costs

and rewards rather than being the result of inheriting or acquiring a

disposition to offend (Bennett 1986).

The United Nations- Office on Drugs and Crimes stated that the

"Prevention is the first imperative of justice” (United Nations document

S/2004/616, para. 4)”. Crime Prevention comprises strategies and measures that

seek to reduce the risk of crimes occurring, and their potential harmful effects on

individuals and society, including fear of crime, by intervening to influence their

multiple causes." (Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime ECOSOC Resolution

2002/13, Annex.) Crime prevention is a multi-sectoral, multi-disciplinary, and

integrated endeavour. The introduction to the Guidelines for the Prevention of

Crime indicates that: "There is clear evidence that well-planned crime prevention

strategies not only prevent crime and victimization, but also promote community

safety and contribute to sustainable development of countries. Effective,

responsible crime prevention enhances the quality of life of all citizens. It has
long-term benefits in terms of reducing the costs associated with the formal

criminal justice system, as well as other social costs that result from crime."

(Economic and Social Council resolution 2002/13, annex), (above). In 2005, the

Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), in its Resolution 2005/22 Action to

promote effective crime prevention, requested UNODC to achieve a balanced

approach between crime prevention and criminal justice responses, and to

further develop initiatives on crime prevention. In 2008, ECOSOC, in its

Resolution 2008/24 Strengthening prevention of urban crime: an integrated

approach, encouraged member states to integrate crime prevention

considerations into all relevant social and economic policies and programmes in

order to effectively address the conditions in which crime and violence can

emerge. In accordance with the United Nations standards and norms on crime

prevention, UNODC actively contributes to international and national efforts to

prevent and control crime. UNODC assists requesting member states to enhance

the capacity of key crime prevention actors and systems to operate more

effectively, with particular attention to vulnerable groups. To that effect, UNODC

works in close partnership with national and regional counterparts, other UN

agencies, civil society organizations, academia, the business sector, and other

key actors. UNODC also focuses on the development of specialized tools and

manuals in support of policy making and the delivery of technical assistance.

Recognizing the multiple causes of crime and as the custodian of the United

Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice, UNODC
promotes strategies, plans, and programmes, which are multi-sectoral, multi-

disciplinary, and which favour civil society participation. Such strategies and

action plans are underpinned by the basic principles for the prevention of crime.

Local Literature

Crime is as an act committed or omitted in the violation of a law

forbidding or commanding it and for which a punishment is imposed upon

conviction (Rena Sandy H. Baculinao and Roel F. Ceballos). In the Philippines,

the Revised Penal Code (Republic Act. No. 3815) serves as the fundamental law

that defines criminal offenses and provides the penalties for the commission of

such. Crime is divided into index and non-index crimes for statistical purposes

and to create a standardized definition of crime classification. Index crimes refer

to crimes against person and crimes against property such as murder, homicide,

physical injury and rape, carnapping/carjacking, and cattle rustling. On the other

hand, non-index crimes are violations of special laws such as illegal logging or

local ordinances (Senate Economic Planning Office, 2013).

Different Crime Strategies were crafted by the PNP, and one example is

the OPLAN LAMBAT SIBAT (Statement Deputy Presidential Spokesperson on the

Week of August 3 to 7 2015), which resulted to the significant drop in crime

incidents in the NCR and all over the country. The Managing Patrol Operations

Manual was crafted last June 2015 during the time of PDDG LEONARDO A

ESPINA, OIC-PNP, in order to enhance the patrol operations of the PNP to

prevent the crime incidents by utilizing the QUAD Concept (Intelligence,

Operations, Community Relations, and Investigation). The PNP personnel need

to go back to basic that is effective patrolling on their assigned area of

responsibilities. All police operations must be well planned, deliberate,

programmatic, and must be sustained in order to reduce and prevent crimes

within the locality.

Related Studies

Patrol (Mobile and Foot Patrol) is the backbone of police operations. An

undergraduate thesis was presented to the faculty of Criminology Department of

United School of Science and Technology Colleges, Inc. Tarlac entitled

“Effectiveness of Patrol Methods in Crime Prevention at San Clemente, Tarlac”

last October 2016 (Taccad et.al). The study focused on the effectiveness of the

different patrol methods by the police officers at San Clemente, Tarlac (Foot

Patrol, Motorcycle Patrol, and Automobile Patrol). Also part of the study is the

level of effectiveness of patrol operations as perceived by the community in

terms of providing security and protection to community and working

relationship with the community. The study revealed that the 3 patrol methods

were “EFFECTIVE” while the providing security and protection to community and

working relationship with the community was perceived as “MUCH EFFECTIVE”.

A study was conducted last 2015 (Lucagbo et. al) by the School of

Statistics of University of the Philippines Diliman on the effectiveness of

interventions particularly against index crimes. The study focused on the

following: Theft, Robbery, Carnapping, and Motornapping. The NCR was divided
into 5 districts: Northern Police District, Eastern Police District, Manila Police

District, Southern Police District, and Quezon City Police District. The intervention

conducted includes increases in number of police personnel, mobile patrols, beat

patrols, and checkpoints. Based on the study, there are index crimes in the NCR

which display an increasing trend: particularly the Theft and Robbery incidents.

Moreover, the incidence of motor napping has steadily increased in SPD. One of

the efforts exerted by the PNP in improving the crime situation in the country is

by enacting different interventions which this paper has described. Some of

these interventions are effective in reducing certain crimes, while some are not.

Moreover, the relationship between the crimes and interventions differs across

the police districts. This paper has identified the interventions which bring down

the level of crime in the different police districts in NCR. The district-level results

show that there is always at least one intervention which significantly decreases

at least one of the index crimes considered: robbery, theft, carnapping and

motornapping. In the NPD, results show that increasing beat patrols is effective

in crime reduction, particularly the crimes of robbery and motornapping.

Increases in the number of mobile patrols and Oplan Bulabog operations produce

significant decreases in the respective levels of motornapping and robbery in the

EPD. Therefore, the crime interventions should be based on the peculiarity of an

area.

An undergraduate thesis presented to the faculty of College of Liberal Arts

and Communication submitted to the faculty of Social Science Department of De

La Salle University-Dasmarinas last December 2017 (Caluscusao, et.al) on the

effectiveness of crime intervention in three barangays of Silang, Cavite namely

Batas, Lucsuhin, and Poblacion 2. The effectiveness of crime preventions were

anchored in terms of the following: Mobility, Communication, Manpower, and

Communication Support. The improvement of the 4 aspects brought positive

impact on the 3 barangays in Silang, Cavite as perceived by the selected

respondents.

The restrictions during the COVID-19 Pandemic also affected the decline

in the crime rate in some areas in the Philippines. This is due to the restrictions

in the movements of persons to prevent the spread of the virus. A study last

March 30, 2021 entitled “Crime Rate in Zamboanga City: Before and During

Quarantine Period” (Alvarez et.al). This study was conceptualized to compare

the crime rate of Zamboanga City before and during the quarantine period. Thus,

covering the months of March to October of 2016 up to 2020. Secondary data

analysis was utilized in the obtained data from Zamboanga City Police Office. The

findings indicate that the volume of crime in the city gradually decreases from

2016 to 2020. Non-index crimes are more prevalent than index crimes in the city.

In details, theft recorded as the highest index crime volume, followed by robbery

and physical injury. In contrast, the volume of other non-index crime was higher

than those in violation of special laws. When data were grouped according to

gender, most of the crimes were committed by males. In terms of age group,

culprits were ages from 30-39. Most of the crimes were committed in streets,
residential places and commercial establishments. Barangays in urban areas in

the city recorded with the highest crime incidents. This study may help the law

enforcers to improve their security strategies. In addition, there should be crime

information drive in the community using different platforms to boost awareness

and create self-strategies and self-protections among citizens.

 Chapter 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methods and procedures used in the conduct of

the study. The source of data instruments, the data gathering procedures and

statistical means used in the analysis of data are fully discussed.

Research Design

Among the many methods in research, the group utilized the descriptive survey

sourcing data from cadets of the PNPA. This involves collection of data in the purpose of

description and interpretation of actual situations, feedback from the area of concern.

Descriptive research has its principal aim of describing the nature of a situation as it

exists at the time of the study and of exploring the causes of a particular phenomenon. It

also aims to dig up the subject to its depth and for the deeper understanding of how and

why it existed in the personality of every individual.

The researchers also aimed to look into the problems encountered by the cadets

after changing their religious denomination.

Sources of Data

The data needed in the study were generated from both the primary and secondary

sources. The primary sources of data are the cadet respondents, particularly the members

of Bachelor of Science in Public Safety (BSPS) classes 2009 and 2010 consisting of five

hundred eight (508) cadets, three hundred twelve (312) from 2009 and one hundred

ninety six (196) from class 2010. The sample respondents for both class 2009 and 2010 is

ninety (90), which is eighteen-percent (18%) of the whole population. Of the ninety

respondents, sixty (60) came from the 3 rd class cadets which is nineteen percent (19%) of
the whole class, while the remaining 30 respondents were taken from class 2010 which is

fifteen percent (15%) of the class.

Office documentation and other materials based from reports of the Philippine

National Police Academy were revisited and analyzed.

The Respondents

Respondents Population Sample Percentage

Class 2009 312 60 19%

Class 2010 196 30 15%

Total 508 90 18%

Instrumentation

The researchers used the questionnaire as tool to survey the proficiency of the

cadets before and after they changed their religious denominations. The researchers also

formulated a survey instrument consisting of two (2) parts.

The first part was designed to determine the perception of the respondents on the

proficiency (academic and tactical) before and after the cadets changed their religious

denominations.

The questionnaire was validated by a panel of three (3) composed of the thesis

adviser, the Dean of Academics, and the Commandant of Cadets. After which the draft

was pre-tested to cadets that are not included in the study. This was done to ensure the

validity of the instrument, taking into account viable comments and suggestions. Items,

which were not clear and understand by the try-put respondents, were deleted, modified,

and reworded. The final copies of the questionnaire were encoded for distribution.
 In evaluating the proficiency of the cadets, the researcher adopted the Likert Scale

in the prepared survey instrument. The variables were quantified according to the

following scale and interpretation.

5----------------------------Outstanding

4----------------------------Very Satisfactory

3----------------------------Satisfactory

2----------------------------Good

1----------------------------Poor

Data Gathering Procedures

The following procedure was observed in gathering the data. The first step was to

secure approval to distribute questionnaires from the Dean of Academics. It was then

followed by the distribution of questionnaires to the respondents. After the questionnaires

were accomplished, it was then retrieved immediately. The procedure concluded to the

tallying, preparation of tables, analysis, and interpretation of data.

Statistical Treatment of Data

For the in-depth interpretation of data, the researchers used the following

techniques:

For the problem number 1 which pertains to the demographic profile of the

respondents, frequency distribution and percentage was used.

P=f/N x 100%

Where:

P-percentage

F-frequency
 N-number of items

100- constant

To determine the perception on the academic and tactical proficiency of the

cadets, before and after they changed their religion, weighted mean was used.

Formula:

WM= f / N

Where:

WM= Weighted Mean

f= Frequency

N= Number of Respondents

The t-test was applied to asses the overall value of each respondents based on

their responses and to know the significant difference on the perception of the

respondents on the proficiency of the cadets prior and after the cadets changed their

religion.

Formula:

t=X1 – X2
√ (S1)2 + (S2)2
N1 N2
Where:

X1 = mean of the first responses (before)

X2 = mean of the second responses (after)

S1 = standard deviation of the first responses

S2 = standard deviation of the second responses

N1 = number of items of the first responses

N2 = weighted mean of the second sample

STATISTICAL LIMITS and DESCRIPTIVE INTERPRETATION

Numerical Value Descriptive Value

4.21 – 5.00 Outstanding

3.41 – 4.20 Very Satisfactory

2.61 – 3.40 Satisfactory

1.81 – 2.60 Good

1.00 – 1.80 Poor