ILOILO – Between January and July this year, 44 robberies were recorded in this province, data from the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) showed.
In the same period last year, the IPPO logged 40.
Of the incidents this year, Dumangas town posted the highest with six, followed by Badiangan with five.
Other towns with one case each were Ajuy, Anilao, Cabatuan, Calinog, Carles, Concepcion, Guimbal, Lambunao, Lemery, Miag-ao, Pavia, San Enrique, San Joaquin, Sara, and Santa Barbara.
Towns with two robbery cases each were Alimodian, Barotac Viejo, Bingawan, Leganes, New Lucena, Pototan, San Miguel, and Zarraga.
The component city of Passi had two cases, too.
According to Police Colonel Gilbert Gorero, IPPO director, “akyat bahay” was the most popular mode of robbery in the past two years. However, there were only six such cases so far this year.
Because of the restrictions brought about by the coronavirus disease pandemic, several establishments were closed. These became the robbers’ targets, said Gorero.
“Apparently, with families staying at home, robbers would not dare to break into houses. They instead target closed establishments or resort to street robbery using a gun,” Gorero said.
To curb street robberies, beat patrolling, checkpoints and coordination with local officials and barangay tanods should be done, he added.
“Police station chiefs are advised to use the crime clock and crime map as reference in the deployment of personnel and patrol cars as a major crime deterrence strategy,” Gorero said./PN
