By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the province’s crime rate is still manageable, despite the increase in the number of crime incidents recorded.

This comes after the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) recorded a total of 4,132 crime incidents from January 1 to December 15, higher than the 3,570 logged in the same period last year.

According to Lacson, he does agree with the point made by the NOCPPO officials that the crime rate hike was due to increased activity by Negrenses following the lifting of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Earlier, NOCPPO spokesperson, Police Lt. Judesses Catalogo said that with festivals now being celebrated again and with the reopening of local businesses in the province, they were already expecting that the number of crime incidents would also increase.

The governor also said he was satisfied with NOCPPO’s performance.

Aside from NOCPPO, Lacson also lauded the Philippine Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade (303IBde) for ensuring the province’s peace situation, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for campaigning against illegal drugs.

Meanwhile, in a separate report issued by 303IBde commander Brigadier General Inocencio Pasaporte, from January 1 to December 15, they recorded a total of 42 gun battles with the New People’s Army (NPA).

In those battles, 29 NPA members were confirmed killed, six were arrested, 10 were captured, and 66 have surrendered, the report showed.

On the other hand, PDEA released data showing they have conducted a total of 678 buy-bust operations this year, with 843 individuals arrested.

PDEA seized a total of 15,670 grams of suspected shabu, and 8,569 grams of suspected marijuana which amounted to P107.5 million./DGB, WDJ