Iloilo City – The police have recorded a decline in crime incidents during the first five months of 2022 making Western Visayas (Region 6) more welcoming to investors as the region moves toward economic recovery due to the devastating impact of the health pandemic.
“They are safe to conduct business here. We are willing to conduct briefing with them just to iron out some of the doubts later on,” Brig. Gen. Flynn E. Dongbo, Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), said in a follow-up interview on Wednesday.
Dongbo said business groups are encouraged to report to authorities or nearest police stations if there are unusual things happening in their surroundings so appropriate actions will be taken.
Col. Gilbert Gorero, chief of the PRO-6 regional operations management division, during the media briefing on June 6, 2022 presented the region’s total crime incidents (TOIs) of 8, 366 from January to May this year, 3.56 percent lower compared with the same period last year.
“The total crime volume does not only involve eight focus crimes but it includes vehicular accidents,’” Gorero said.
He added that Iloilo City recorded the most significant decrease with 23.25 percent or 1,772, down from 2,309 cases last year. A decrease was also noted in Aklan and Bacolod City.
In terms of peace and order, cases declined by 16.48 percent or equivalent to 4,110 cases from previous year’s 4,921, with Iloilo City recording the highest reduction at 41.22 percent.
The focus crimes include murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, and carnapping.
The decline was particularly noted for incidents of murder, physical injury, rape, and vehicle theft.
Public safety or traffic incidents, however, increased by 13.37 percent with Guimaras recording the highest leap at 83.63 percent.
“Crime incidents in Western Visayas are manageable. No high-profile crime was recorded, no liquidation of personnel, zero political killing, zero kidnap-for-ransom, zero bank robbery, and zero terrorism,” Gorero said.
Source: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1176173