CORTES, Bohol, May 26 (PIA) -- Cases of theft, robbery, and rape increased in the first five months of 2023, while physical injuries dipped 15%.

The said crimes are largely considered the quick indicators of an area’s peace and order situation.

Compared to the first five months of 2022, theft soared to 102 cases this year from 80 cases recorded last year or a 27.5 % increase.

Of the 102 theft cases, 84 were already solved and 15 cleared, which means that the police investigators have identified the suspect or suspects but have not filed cases in court pending the acquisition of more incriminating evidence or witnesses.

Robbery in Bohol also went up by 56% from 25 cases last year to 39 this year, while rape, which also includes incest, increased from 29 cases in 2022 to 37 cases this year, or a 27.59% increase.

As to robbery, of the 39 cases in these early months, 23 have been considered solved and 13 cleared, while three remain to be unsolved, like theft.

Of the 37 rape cases recorded in police blotters during the first five months this year, eight have been solved, police have identified suspects in the 28 cases, and a single rape case remains unsolved.

However, physical injuries went down from 93 cases in 2022 to 79, a 15.95% dip in cases noted from January to May 15 of this year.

Of the 79 cases of physical injuries, 63 cases have been solved and14 cleared and are awaiting the filing of proper cases, while two remain unsolved.

Murder, which had 14 cases in the first five months of 2022, decreased to 10 cases in the same period this year.

Homicide, which had seven cases in 2022, went down to two cases this year.

Motor-napping, which registered 13 cases from January to May in 2022, now has only three cases this year.

Of the 10 cases of murder, two have been solved, three already have some suspects identified, and five remain unsolved.

For homicide, police scored 100% crime solution efficiency, solving two cases in police blotters in Bohol.

Motor-napping’s three cases in the first five months this year have two cases already solved and one cleared.

The first five months also saw one case of carnapping when there was none in 2022. 

Beyond the index crimes, unjust vexation spiked 12% from 25 to 28 cases, while acts of lasciviousness went up from 11 to 15 (36%) cases, and the rest all showed downtrends.

Bohol Police Provincial Director Police Senior Supt. Lorenzo Batuan assured Boholanos during  the recent Provincial Peace and Order Council Meeting that peace in Bohol is still manageable. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)