Rape in ’24 dips by 52%

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol April 8 (PIA) – By the end of Women’s Month, Bohol Provincial Police Office crime statisticians report a 52 percent decrease in cases.

This is despite the strengthened campaign to get women victims talking and reporting the transgression to the local elected officials, police, and the courts, updated Police Women and Children’s Protection Desk chief, Police Capatin Mildred Taga-amo.

During the recent joint meetings of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC), April 3, Camp Francisco Dagohoy authorities reported some 31 rape cases getting into the police blotters from January to March 31 in 2023.

The figure has since sunk to 15, based on the consolidated data of the same period in 2024, reports Police Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Berondo, Operations management chief of the Bohol Provincial Police Office.

While local crime busters record a 52 percent dip in cases, the figure however is still high considering that with the 15 rape cases, it still boils down to 5 cases per month, Taga--amo pointed out.

According to LtCol Berondo, of the same 15 cases, 2 are already solved, meaning the perpetrators already identified, and appropriate cases filed in courts.

Eight of the 15 cases are also cleared, meaning the authorities have already identified the suspects but have not issued appropriate warrants for want of more evidences to strengthen the case.

Another third of the reported cases remained unsolved, Camp Dagohoy, through Col Berondo bared.

During the past year and onwards, police officers, led by their women officials expanded the campaign against violence against women and their children, which has rape in it, bringing it to the barangay assemblies, in a continuing drive to stop the violence.

Now with sets of newly elected officials as the first and the nearest refuge for the victims, the PNP is starting all over the campaign, talking to the neophytes to champion on women’s and children’s rights.

We understand that local officials would readily want to mediate, but the law prohibits that, police authorities warned, noting that as soon as a case is lodged in the barangay VAWC desk, the police have to elevate it to the courts, women’s rights advocates stressed.

In the same meeting, Camp Dagohoy officials also reported a decrease in robbery cases for the first three months.

From 27 cases reported in police blotters all over Bohol in 2023, the number has lessened to 16 early in 2024, the operations official said.

Of the 16 robbery cases in 2024, 62 percent or 10 have been solved, 2 are cleared and the remaining four cases are still unsolved.

Police crime statisticians also noted a 15 percent downswing in physical injury cases, from 46 to 39 or a 15 percent drop.

Of the 39 physical injury cases, 32 are already closed as these are solved, 3 are cleared and only 4 are unsolved, he added.

Theft, which figures out strong in negative perceptions of a peaceful and orderly place, also registered a lessening of cases.

From 67 cases in 2023, the counts is now at 58, a 13 percent dip now registered at Camp Dagohoy.

Over these developments, Bohol PPO will religiously exert efforts in the implementation sustained police presence and increase in police operations on PNP Flagship Programs, continued conduct of Intel Driven Operations against Drug Personalities and intensified conduct of operation against loose firearms.

Moreover, the force is into continued implementation of Simultaneous Anti-Criminality Law Enforcement Operations

(SACLEOs) and sustained coordination and collaboration with other agencies for the Barangay Drug Clearing Program and crime prevention and solution efforts and attain a strengthened intelligence community. (PIABohol)