KORONADAL CITY –– The Philippine National Police (PNP) has registered a dramatic drop in the crime rate in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) amid the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis.
From March 15 to April 14, the crime rate went down by 39 percent from 1,093 in the same period last year to 671, according to Lt. Colonel Lino Capellan, police regional spokesperson.
Soccsksargen is composed of the provinces of Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat, and the highly urbanized city of General Santos.
Capellan said the drop was particularly noted for murder, homicide, robbery, theft, physical injury, car theft, rape.
“We are on regular duty for COVID-19, but our campaign against criminality remains,” he said.
“We have intensified checkpoint activities both for COVID-19 and crimes,” said Brig. Gen. Alfred Corpus, PNP 12 regional director.
“This ECQ and lockdown have been a big factor why crimes have gone down,” Corpus said.