Manila, April 16 -- Crimes against persons in Metro Manila have declined since the April 6 implementation of the "Safer Cities" initiative, police said Thursday.

Comparative monitoring from March 28 to April 5 and April 6 to 14 showed decreases across major crimes: murder fell from 91 to 82 (down 9.8 percent), homicide from 28 to 17 (39.3 percent), physical injuries from 132 to 102 (22.7 percent), and rape from 96 to 74 (22.9 percent).

In a press briefing, Brig. Gen. Ponce Rogelio Penones, Philippine National Police (PNP) Director for Operations, said this reflects the continued impact of intensified police visibility and stricter enforcement under the initiative.

Meanwhile, Penones noted that theft cases rose by 1.5 percent, from 272 ...