ILOILO CITY – Western Visayas was generally peaceful during the New Year.

Police Brig. Gen. Sidney Villaflor, PRO-6 director, said only 15 crime incidents were recorded in the region from December 31 to January 1. Six of these were physical injury, three murder, three homicide, two theft, and robbery.
This was 53 percent lower compared to December 31, 2022 to January 1, 2023 with 32.
PRO-6 recorded two cases of stray bullet incidents and a case of indiscriminate firing but this is still under investigation.
Police Major Mary Grace Borio, PRO-6 spokesperson, said the low crime rate was attributed to the aggressive security operations, especially the increased police presence in strategic areas in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental provinces as well as the highly urbanized cities of Iloilo and Bacolod.
Villaflor thanked civil society organizations, stakeholders, and other law enforcement agencies for their cooperation and support to the police during the New Year celebration.
PRO-6 recorded 142 firecracker-related incidents as of 6 a.m. on January 2.