BONTOC, Mountain Province – The crime volume in the region for the first two months of the year dropped by 11.25 percent or 1,072 crimes compared to the 1,208 crimes that was recorded by the Philippine National Police (PNP) during the same period last year.
Superintendent Glen Lonogan, chief of the regional operations and plans division of the Police Regional Office (PRO) in the Cordillera, reported during the first quarter joint meeting of the Regional Development Council (RDC) and Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) in the Cordillera chaired by Baguio city Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan that index crimes for the current period increased by 4.36 percent or 215 crimes compared to the 206 crimes that were recorded during the same period last year.
However, he added that non-index crimes decreased by 14.47 percent during the current period or from 857 crimes compared to the 1,002 crimes that were reported during the same period last year.
Of the local governments comprising the Cordillera, Ifugao registered the highest decrease in crime volume at 33 percent or 37 crimes for the first 2 months of the year from 55 crimes recorded during the same period last year followed by Abra with 22 percent or 79 crimes from 101 crimes, Baguio City – 21 percent or 457 crimes from 576 crimes, Kalinga – 19 percent or 63 crimes from 80 crimes, and Apayao – 11 percent or 17 crimes from 19 crimes.
On the other hand, Mountain Province recorded a 13 percent increase in crime volume for the first 2 months of this year from the previous 31 crimes to 35 crimes followed by Benguet which registered a 10 percent increase from 346 crimes to 382 crimes.
Lonogan added that the region’s crime clearance efficiency dropped by 1.07 percent for the first 2 months of this or 78.94 percent from the previous 80.01 during the same period last year.
Moreover, he claimed that the region’s crime solution efficiency also dropped by a negligible 0.51 percent or from 71.93 during the first 2 months of last year compared to the 71.42 during the same period this year.
Of the mapped index crimes, Benguet accounted for the highest number of index crimes with 95 followed by Baguio city with 70, Abra – 23, Ifugao and Kalinga with 15 each, Mountain Province – 9 and Apayao – 6.
The police officials said police operatives in the region were involved in 88 operations against lose firearms that resulted to the arrest of 27 persons and the confiscation of 27 firearms wherein 24 cases were filed against the arrested individuals.
On the campaign against illegal gambling, Lonogan claimed there were 8 operations that were conducted wherein 22 persons were arrested and the seizure of some P29,841.22 and the filing of 6 cases against those involved in the said illegal gambling operations.
He revealed there were 45 police operations against illegal drugs wherein 40 persons were arrested and the seizure of 80..89 grams of shabu as well as the uprooting of 143,434 marijuana plants and the confiscation of 83.97 kilos dried marijuana leaves worth over P39.2 million that resulted to the filing of 25 cases with 32 surrendered drug personalities regionwide.
By Dexter A. See