ILOILO CITY – Crime rate in the first eight months of the year has dropped by more than 11 percent in Western Visayas region, said a report by the Police Regional Office (PRO-6).
According to the reports, a total of 7,045 criminal incidents under the peace and order category were recorded from January to August 2022, 879 lower than the 7,924 recorded in the same period last year.
“This is the result of our relentless implementation of our crime prevention and solution strategies to stop the occurrence of crimes,” said Brigadier General Leo Francisco.
This covers the decrease of the eight focus crimes including murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, carnapping - motor vehicle, and carnapping in the region.
PRO-6 found that crimes had decreased in all areas except Negros Occidental province.
The regional center of Iloilo City had seen the most remarkable decrease in criminal incidents with a 33.1 percent. The city recorded 966 criminal incidents from January to August this year, about 66.8 percent fewer than the 1,444 recorded in the same period last year.
Iloilo province ranked second with a decrease of 16.67 percent or 312 cases. From the 1,871 cases last year, there were only 1,559 cases.
There was also a decrease of 10.22 percent (23 cases) in Guimaras province; 9.5 percent (62 cases) in Capiz province; 7.08 percent (56 cases) in Bacolod City; 3.21 percent (15 cases) in Antique province; and 2.29 percent (14 cases) in Aklan province.
On the other hand, Negros Occidental province had a 4.34 percent increase in crimes. From 1,866 cases in 2021, it jumped to 1,947 this year.