Negros Occ. cops nab violators, crime rates down

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, April 16 (PIA6) —  About 879 violators in this province were apprehended in violation of the Executive Order 20-20 or the Enhanced Community Quarantine for COVID-19 which started March 30.

The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) records showed that out of the total violators, 832 were apprehended for violating curfew and 47 for disobedience while seven cases were already filed and 48 were for regular filing; the rest were warned and advised to go home.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson issued EO 20-20 which placed the entire province under the ECQ for 14 days, which was later extended up to the end of April, 2020. 

NOCPPO provincial director Police Colonel Romeo A. Baleros appeals to the public to obey the law and follow the advice of the authorities.

“To combat this infectious virus, we all need to do our part. If you have no important business outside your residence, better stay at home,” Baleros said.

NOCPPO will also implement measures to correct the reported mass gathering of people in markets.

These include deployment of PNP personnel along with personnel from Philippine Army, enforcement of social distancing and mandatory wearing of mask and instituting one entry and one exit system in wet markets.   

Meanwhile, NOCPPO recorded a 26 percent decrease in the crime rate for the eight focus crimes since the start of the implementation of the ECQ on March 30 until April 12 as compared to the two weeks before the ECQ.

A big drop of 77 percent was noted on vehicular accidents while murder dropped by 40 percent and physical injury by 25 percent.

There was no rape case recorded for the duration while there is only one recorded case for theft, NOCPPO records showed. *(LTP/EAD-PIA6 Negros Occidental)

source https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1039118