By Jennifer P. Rendon
Capiz province and Iloilo City registered the most number of crimes against property in Region 6 in December 2022.
From Dec 1-27, Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 records indicated that Capiz Police Provincial Office (CPPO) recorded 11 of the 25 robbery incidents (44 percent) that happened all over Western Visayas.
On the other hand, Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) logged 16 of the 49 theft cases.
But the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) is also not far behind as it placed second in both robbery (eight cases) and theft (12 cases) in the same period.
Iloilo CPO and Negros Occidental PPO reported two robbery cases each while Antique PPO and Bacolod City PO have a lone incident each.
Aklan PPO and Guimaras PPO have clean slates when it comes to robbery.
For theft, Negros Occidental PPO logged nine cases; Capiz PPO with four; Aklan PPO with three; Bacolod City PO and Guimaras with two each; and Antique PPO with one.
In Capiz province, it’s notable, though, that most of the robbery and theft cases happened in its capital, Roxas City.
It has recorded 6 of the 11 robbery cases and three of the four theft incidents.
Lieutenant Colonel Aron Palomo, Roxas City police chief, admitted that the number is quite alarming.
But he assured the public that the police are doing everything to solve these cases.
For the six robbery incidents, he said that four, including the P1.5 million highway robbery on December 12, have been solved
They already filed charges against the suspects, he added.
Police are left to solve the two robbery incidents on December 27 at a school and a lending company, which lost P162,900 in cash.
But as the police are doing their part, Palomo has called on the public to also do their share.
“They should take care of their property and secure their belongings. We can’t possibly guard every nook and cranny of Roxas City 24/7,” he said.
He pointed out the two robbery incidents in schools wherein officials just left the laptops during long holidays.
“They should have secured it considering that they don’t employ guards and they also don’t have CCTV cameras,” he said.
Palomo said they have not been remiss in reminding establishments that crime prevention should be a shared commitment and responsibility between the police authorities and the public.
