By Jennifer P. Rendon
Western Visayas logged fewer crimes in the first semester of 2022.
Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 records indicated that 10,408 total crimes were reported in the first six months of the year.
The number is slightly lower by 4.06 percent from 10,849 cases recorded in the same period in 2021.
PRO-6 noted a decline in cases dubbed as “peace and order indicators.” From 5,926 cases in 2021, it went down to 5,154, or a 13.02 percent reduction.
Except for Antique, all other provinces and cities in Region 6 recorded declines in their crime statistics.
Iloilo City posted the biggest decline in incidents under peace and order indicator. It only logged 597 cases this year, or a 42.22 percent decline from the previous year’s record.
Guimaras recorded 13.48 percent reduction; Iloilo Province by 12.04 percent; Bacolod City by 9.23 percent; Aklan by 3.96 percent; Negros Occidental by 2.13 percent; and Capiz by 0.71 percent.
Meanwhile, the number of eight focus crimes also decreased. From 1,444 in 2021, it went down to 1,278 this year or lower by 11.49 percent.
The eight focus crimes are murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, carnapping of vehicles, and carnapping of motorcycles.
Cases in all provinces and cities went down, except for Capiz, which recorded a slight increase of 18 incidents or 11.92 percent.
Brigadier General Flynn Dongbo, Western Visayas police chief, has cited the efforts of all unit commanders and all their personnel for their collective contribution in the PNP’s anti-campaign.
Dongbo urged PRO-6 personnel to maximize their coordination and collaboration with the local government units and other stakeholders to enhance the PNP’s crime prevention endeavors, “as we ensure that Western Visayas continues to be peaceful, livable and a safer place for its people.”
