BAGUIO CITY(PIA) --The  Cordillera Police Regional Office(PROCOR)  reported  drop in  crime rate in the  region  in 2023.

PCol. Jeremias G. Oyawon  reported during the 1st Quarter 2024 meeting of the Sectoral Committee on Development Administration and Good Governance  that the police have recorded  a total of 3,815 crime incidents last year, compared to the  4,277 incidents  in 2022, or a 10.80 percent decrease in crime volume.

For index crimes  which are committed against persons  such as murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, carnapping and cattle rustling, 760  incidents  were logged in 2023 compared to the 821 in 2022.

The top three most prevalent crimes were theft(234), rape (224), and physical injuries (118).

There were also 82 incidents of  robbery,  murder, 47;  homicide,25; carnapping-motor cycle, 22; robbery with homicide,3; carnapping -motor vehicle,3; and one each for rape with  homicide,  and robbery with rape.

For non-index crimes, the PRO Cor  recorded a total of  1,247  incidents in 2023 against the  1,471 in 2022 ,  or  a decrease of  5.23 percent.  Non-Index crimes are crimes in violation of local ordinances and special laws, and vehicular accidents.

Topping the list were violations  of  the  Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (228);  Republic Act  9262, or the Violence Against Women and their Children law (151), and RA 7610 or Special Protection of Children against  Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act (125).

For  Public Safety Indicator, there was a decrease of 177 incidents from 1,985 in 2022 to 1,808 in 2023 incidents.

Oyawon highlighted that among the crimes that have shown a drop last year was rape  with 223 cases compared to the  244 incidents cases recorded in 2022, or an  8.6 percent decrease.

Baguio City, and the provinces of Abra, Ifugao and Mountain Province recorded lower cases, while Kalinga recorded same figure.  However, Apayao increased by four cases while  Benguet  which has been recording the  highest number of rape cases in the previous years  still increased  by eight accounting for  76 in 2023.

Oyawon said  the youngest rape victim  was  two  years old,  while the oldest was  48 years old.  

As to suspects profile, ages 18-35 years old recorded the highest suspects on rape incidents for both 2022 and 2023, and majority of rape cases transpired in residential houses.

PMaj. Mary Grace Marron,  chief of the PROCor Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD), shared the  activities they are doing to address incidence of rape in the region.

She said they conduct continuous dialogues in the community like “pulong-pulong”, distribution of IEC materials, house visitation, storytelling for younger children,  and participation in inter-agency meetings. They utilize  traditional and digital media like the Facebook, conduct film showing, radio guesting  in their IEC activities.  

They conduct lectures on Men Opposed to Violence Everywhere (MOVE) for male participants in different towns of the region, and continuously capacitate investigators handling rape cases.

The PROCOR also  established WCPD  in all police stations, and  ensure the availability of 24/7 hotline numbers. (JDP/MAWC/PIA-CAR)