PROJECT TOKHANG VIS-À-VIS, CRIMES, URBANIZED CITIES 

The introduction of dangerous drugs to the human society has caused one of the
most drastic changes that man has ever known. For the countless deviations that
dangerous drugs brought to humans, terror must be the most phenomenal. The extent
of the drug problem had made its way to the priority list of any government, including
the Philippines. It is in this light that this study was conducted to determine whether
Project TOKHANG has reduced the volume of index crimes significantly by comparing
the volume of index crimes prior to its implementation (March-June) and during its
implementation (July-October) of the year 2016.
In the Philippines, around 1.8 million are drug users, according to the Dangerous
Drugs Board’s (DDB) 2015 National Household Survey. Of these 1.8 million drug users
in the country, 38.36% are unemployed. Moreover, the Philippine Drug Enforcement
Agency (PDEA) in 2015 reported that 26.91% of 11,319 out of the country’s 42.065
barangays were “drug affected” (mostly in urban areas). On record, NCR has the
highest rate of affectation with 92.96% of the region’s barangays, followed by
CALABARZON at 33.78%. Based on PDEA’s 2015 arrest data, Methamphetamine
Hydrochloride or Shabu (90%) reportedly tops the list of most abused illegal drugs,
followed by Marijuana and costly party drugs like Cocaine and Ecstacy. In Region 7,
particularly in the high urbanized cities situated in Metro Cebu, illegal drugs have
affected all 27 Barangays in Mandaue City, 29 of the 30 barangays in Lapu-Lapu City,
and all of the 80 barangays in Cebu City (PDEA 2015).
The murder cases of Cebu City doubled, and rape cases increased by 42%. On
the other hand, homicide cases decreased by 50% and physical injury cases by 2.1%.,
Robbery has decreased by 10%, Theft by 6.8%, and Motornapping by 22%. For
Mandaue City, murder cases has increased by 700% (from 4 to 32), once a peaceful
city now splattered with blood. Physical injuries have risen by 35%. Robbery
decreased by 20% and Motornapping by a surprising 168.75%. Murder cases in Lapu-

Lapu City also increased by 100%. It is also alarming for a small city with most
foreigners enjoying the luscious beaches to show an increase of 200% on Homicide
cases and 39% increase on Physical Injury cases. Robbery and Theft has a very small
decrease in the number of cases, which is 3.3% and 0.6% respectively. Motornapping
cases dropped by 55%, the second highest decrease so far among the 3 highly
urbanized cities.
Using independent samples t-test to do the comparative analysis, it was found
out that the data collected on the volumes of index crimes on 3 highly urbanized cities of
Metro Cebu has failed to reject the null hypothesis. These results suggest that as of thr
moment, which is barely four months from the implementation of Project Tokhang, it is
still premature to say whether it is effective in reducing index crimes. Since there was
no significant difference found on the volume of index crimes four months prior to the
implementation of Project Tokhang and during the first four months in the
implementation of the said program, then it cannot be conclusively said that it is
effective in reducing the volume of index crimes. As used in this study, the proxy
variable for the effectiveness of Project TOKHANG is based on the decrease on the
volume of index crimes, but such decrease was found not significant given the short
period under consideration. These findings suggest that it is imperative that a similar
data analysis should be conducted one year after the project’s implementation, as it
was the promise of the president to be relentless in the eradication of illegal drugs. The
results of this study will be used as the basis in coming up with the Supplemental
Guidelines in the implementation of the PNP’s Anti-Illegal Drug Campaign.