Drug case convictions up 200% in Philippines

Muscat: Convictions in the Philippines related to illegal drug cases filed in courts rose by more than 200 per cent in 2017, according to a senior official from the country's Department of Justice.
Department Secretary Menardo Guevarra said, "With respect to dangerous drugs, the number of cases filed last year rose by 9 per cent and with a conviction rate of 208.5 per cent, considering the relatively low number in 2016."
From 2,279 convictions in 2016, there were 7,032 convictions in 2017. The secretary also noted that a total of 72,212 drug cases were filed in courts last year, which is 9 per cent higher compared to 2016 with a total of 66,306 drug-related complaints filed.
Meanwhile, the conviction rate of criminal cases also rose by 59.52 per cent in 2017 with 42,042 cases resulting in a conviction, compared to only 26,355 cases ending in a conviction in 2016.
A total of 294,196 criminal cases were filed last year, 4.27 per cent higher than the 282,154 cases filed in 2016.
— With inputs from Philippine News Agency