Manila, April 30 -- The government's program for protecting state witnesses crucial in prosecuting criminal cases has exceeded its performance target for 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Tuesday.

In a statement, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the DOJ's Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Program (DOJ-WPSBP) achieved a 95.65-percent success rate in prosecuting cases with witnesses covered by the program in the previous year, exceeding its 84.80 percent target.

The WPSBP has also achieved a perfect 100 percent rating in processing applications for witness coverage, and percentage of witnesses covered "with no reported untoward incidents."

Remulla congratulated WPSB officials and personnel for their dedication...