Following a recent meeting of the Iloilo City Peace and Order Council, Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director, Police Senior Superintendent Henry Biñas, insisted the city is safe and said crime is on the decline.

In response to a recent spate of killings, he said many of the recent incidents involving riding-in-tandem suspects are isolated cases.

Biñas affirmed, over the past several months, the city has been “very peaceful,” calling the recent criminal activity “unfortunate.”

He also pointed out, index crime, which includes murder, homicide, physical injury and rape, and crimes against property, have been on the decline, calling the decreases “significant.”

The ICPO chief also affirmed there is no organized crime group currently operating in the city.

Last month, ICPO announced they would be intensifying their campaign against local gangs, predominately comprised of students and out-of-school youth, in an effort to prevent a potential gang war in the city.

“We are monitoring [the] movements of gang members,” said ICPO spokesperson, Police Senior Inspector Shella Mae Sangrines.

At the time, there were a reported 31 gangs operating in the city./WDJ