By: Glazy Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) has reported 77 rape cases in 26 areas in the province from January to November 18, 2019.
Of the total figure, 39 were solved, 70 were cleared, while seven are unsolved.
Police Major Edison Garcia, Nocppo operations branch head, said cleared cases are those incidents which suspects were identified and some were arrested while unsolved cases are those incidents which have no identities of the suspects for their possible apprehension.
Garcia said Murcia has the highest number of rape incidents in the past 11 months.
Sagay City has seven cases, Sipalay and Talisay cities with six cases each, and Cadiz City with five cases.
Four cases each were also reported in Bago City, and towns of Hinoba-an and Ilog.
Victorias and Escalante cities have three cases each, Kabankalan and La Carlota cities, and towns of Binalbagan, Calatrava, Cauayan, Isabela, Moises Padilla, and Pontevedra with two cases each.
One case each was reported in the cities of Himamaylan, San Carlos, and Silay, and towns of Candoni, Hinigaran, La Castellana, Manapla, and Toboso.
Despite the rampant rape incidents in the province in the past two weeks, Garcia noted that the cases decreased this year.
Garcia said 155 cases were reported from January to December 2018 in 30 areas in the province.
Of the total number, 60 cases were solved last year, 141 were cleared, and 14 are still unsolved.
Garcia said that Murcia and Kabankalan has the highest number of rape cases with 17 incidents each.
He said there is really a need to address these cases particularly in Murcia area, adding that incidents would usually happen in remote villages in the province.
The Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) has initiated interventions to prevent the increasing number of rape cases in the province.
“The WCPD personnel are reaching out to the community in their respective areas to educate them about rape cases,” he added.
He also stressed the significant role of the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as part of the preventive measures.
“We are more on information drive and crime solution. These agencies should also take part in the process,” he said.
He advised parents to be very cautious with their children particularly with their daughters to prevent them from sexual abuse or molestation.
