Crime stats in CV decreases by 27%

Crime statistics in Central Visayas dropped by 27 percent in 2007 compared to the year before that, based on the Peace and Order Situation Report of Sr. Supt. Mariano Paez Natu-el, Jr., chief of the Regional Operations and Plans Division, which was presented yesterday during the joint meeting of the Regional Development Council and the Regional Peace and Order Council at the Bohol Tropics Resort in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

Natu-el’s report showed that although the Total Crime Volume from 2003-2005 shows an increasing trend, there was an “abrupt decrease” of it the following years, 2006-2007, to which the PRO credited to the ASEAN Summit preparation wherein thousands of PNP personnel from other regions were augmented to PRO-7 for quite a time before, during and after the event.

During this year-long preparation, the TCV volume was 12,237 in 2006 which nosedived to 8,921 or 27.10 percent the following year. The same trend can also be noticed in the Index Crime Volume.

The PRO noted that in 2007, the most prevalent Index Crime is theft which records 2,026 cases. It is followed by physical injury at 1,972 incidents, robbery with 918, murder with 468 incidents, homicide with 208 and rape with 161 reported cases.

“The frequency of the crimes against property indicates the underlying socio-economic causes,” the report stated.

The report, which was heard by several members and officials of both councils chaired by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, also said that Cebu has the highest recorded incidents which totaled to 2,086 of the region-wide Index Crime Volume. Cebu City tails with 1,928 reported cases. Then Bohol came third with 901, followed by Negros Oriental with 451, Mandaue City with 345, and Siquijor with only 42 incidents.

Among the reported crimes, theft was the most common last year which was followed by physical injuries, robbery, murder, and rape and homicide, in particular order.

Under the “Crimes against Property”, the PRO noted that on both robbery and theft, “it shows a varying trend but generally it has a declining trend recently as shown in the slide.”

The months of February and March 2007 have the “highest peak due to the sudden pullout of troops from the ASEAN Summit.” The summit happened in January 2007.

Natu-el reported that there are no sightings of international terrorists like Al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah operating in the region. Although, “the proximity of Central Visayas to Mindanao, however, makes possible that threat groups like the ASG, Pentagon, and MILF may infiltrate Central Visayas to sow terror,” he disclosed.

“It cannot be denied that while Central Visayas was never actually threatened by terrorist bombings, there exists a great deal of possibility that Cebu, being the center of tourism, commerce and trade in the south, will be seriously targeted by terrorist offensive,” he further reported.

Hence, the PNP suggested its own “formula” to combat this looming terrorism, which is the “Three-Tiered Defense System,” the region’s operational strategy to address the growing threat of terrorism, through the PRO-7 Letter of Instructions “Agap-Siete” or “The PRO-7 Security Measures Enhancement.”

Currently, Natu-el said that the peace and order situation in the region is still stable as manifested by the increasing influx of local and foreign tourists based on statistics from the Department of Tourism. The industrial growth in the region can also be attributed to the confidence being felt by investors who put their money here, the report continued. PRO-7 is currently headed by Supt. Ronald Roderos who was also there in the gathering.

Yesterday was actually the first time —or at least with Garcia as chairwoman for both the RDC and RPOC— that the two councils joined together for a full council meeting, to which Garcia said is “important as the two being connected with one another.”

The next RDC meeting is scheduled on June 20, this time in Siquijor. — Liv G. Campo/MEEV