CEBU CITY, Philippines — A “very sharp decline” in crime occurrence has been recorded in Central Visayas this year, according to Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of Police Regional Office Region 7 (PRO-7) director Police Brigadier General Jerry Bearis on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023.
Pelare reported that in the first 25 days of 2023, they have logged a decrease by 22 percent the number of crime occurrence in the region.
“If you are going to compare it with the previous year, January 1 to 25, 2022, niubos atong krimen and we could attribute this to this tailored strategies that we are introducing of course the help of community very vital in the fight against crimes,” said Pelare.
READ: PRO-7 notes drop in index crimes from Jan 1 to 25
Pelare reported that in January 2023, they have already accounted around P110 million worth of illegal drugs in support of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
“Nisud lang sa picture ang PNP because there is a study of the correlation between illegal drug use and trade and crime occurrence,” said Pelare.
He added that they already have proven in the past that whenever there is illegal drug activity, there is also a strong crime occurrence.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Janette Rafter, deputy city director for operation of the Cebu City Police Office, supported Pelare’s statement.
She said that the same correlation between crime occurrence and confiscation of illegal drugs is being noticed in the city.
“With the increase of confiscation, there was decrease also of crime incidents in Cebu City,” she said.
Rafter revealed that there is more than 50-percent increase in the number of confiscations of illegal drugs in Cebu City compared to last year.
Pelare said that Cebu City still has a significant low crime rate, noting that it is “really a good situation or crime map of Cebu City.”
With regard to the illegal drugs campaign in the city, Pelare said that the relentless effort of Cebu City has contributed much to the increase of confiscation of illegal drugs in the city. | Niña Mae Oliverio, USJ-R Intern
/bmjo
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