CEBU, Philippines - Crime volume in Mandaue City increased this year to 3,318 cases or an increase of 41 percent from 1,160 cases from January to August last year.
But the Mandaue City Police Office was quick to add that this should not be cause for alarm.
More than half of these are barangays cases pertaining to physical injuries and other petty crimes, while the rest comes from the police blotter.
Senior Insp. Allan Cuizon, deputy for operations in MCPO, said the increase in volume is attributable to the directive by the Philippine National Police chief to combine cases from barangays with those of the police.
From January to August, MCPO arrested 126 persons for involvement in illegal drugs and conducted 102 drug operations.
The police have filed 128 drug cases filed in court.
On the other hand, illegal gambling in the city is not alarming, Cuizon said.
He said there are 27 barangays in the city and 16 of these are affected by illegal gambling while 11 have been cleared from illegal gambling.
“Ang illegal gambling sa syudad consist only of illegal numbers games such as “masiao†and “swertes†but not alarming at all kay ang atong dakop mao ra man ang tigpataya ug tig-taya, he said.
He also said that there are no financiers in the city but there have been four masiao coordinators being monitored.