CEBU, Philippines – Crime incidents in Central Visayas have dropped by 26 percent in the first five months of this year with the Police Regional Office (PRO) in Region 7 attributing such decrease to an intensification of its police patrol system here.

PRO 7 Director Ager Ontog said that from January to May 30 of this year, some 7,995 crime incidents as against 10,841 in the same period last year were recorded in the region, including those perpetuated against persons and property.

“This is a clear indication that what we’re doing in the region are starting to bear fruits,” said Ontog even as he pointed to the police’s integrated patrol system as a main reason for the decline in crime incidents.

Said police integrated patrol system includes fielding more police for foot patrol activities and conducting further checkpoints. The system also involves fielding more motorcycle cops on streets.

Also from January to May 30 this year, PRO 7 likewise recorded 1,358 arrests and confiscated 79 unlicensed firearms. Loose firearms are among a top concern of the regional police office, said Ontog, and the concentration of operation against this particular matter cover the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu as well as the entire province of Cebu.

Despite the decline of crime incidents, Ontog noted the rise of crimes involving motorcycle-riding criminals. The number of incidents involving theft of motorcycle has also been rising he said and the police are now initiating operations to put a stop on this kind of crime.

“Stealing motorcycles is a very easy crime to commit because criminals can easily chop-off motorcycle parts for sale,” said Ontog as he stressed that he has already ordered police chiefs in the region to check all junk shops in their areas of responsibilities to check on motorcycle parts that could have been stolen.

Still, overall, Ontog said the peace and order situation in the entire Central Visayas region is “generally good.”

Meanwhile, authorities uprooted some 1,200 fully grown marijuana plants worth P240,000 in sitio Malubog in the mountain barangay of Ipil in Carmen town, this province.

The marijuana plantation is within a portion of some two hectares of land owned by Camilo Cambaya, currently a detainee at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center. He was arrested last March this year also for cultivating marijuana.

The evidence recovered will be taken to the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory Thursday for chemical analysis.

The area was under surveillance for two weeks before the operation was carried out. Police suspected that Cambaya’s sons, Jesus and a certain “Dedeng,” were the ones cultivating the plants, but the two were nowhere to be found when the police arrived.