Index crimes in Central Visayas dropped 25 percent in August 2026 to 129 cases from 172 cases in August 2025, according to the Police Regional Office 7.
Police Regional Office 7 Director Brig. Gen. Arnold Abad attributed the decrease to intensified operations, increased police presence, and renewed partnerships between police and the community.
Incidents under the Peace and Order Indicator rose 10.72 percent due to intensified operations against violations of special laws, which accounted for 91.02 percent of the total.
INDEX crimes recorded in Central Visayas fell 25 percent in August 2026 compared with the same month last year, according to the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7.
Police recorded 129 index crimes during the month, down by 43 from the 172 cases reported in August 2025.
Index crimes are serious offenses against people or property that police track to assess crime trends, including murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft and carnapping.
Decline attributed to police operations
The PRO 7 attributed the decline to intensified operations and closer coordination with communities and other stakeholders.
The region’s total recorded crime incidents also fell 5.70 percent, from 2,300 in August 2025 to 2,169 in August 2026, a decrease of 131 incidents.
PRO 7 Director Brig. Gen. Arnold Abad said the decline reflected the results of targeted police operations and crime prevention efforts.
“Aggressive police operations, increased police presence and the renewed partnership of the police and the community led to fewer crimes and safer environment. Rest assured our security initiatives will continue to deliver a safe and secure Central Visayas,” Abad said.
The general said the PRO 7 would continue to review crime data to identify high-risk areas and track recurring crime patterns.
Police personnel and equipment would also be deployed where they were needed most, he said.
Abad said public safety was a shared responsibility that required close coordination among police, local government units, other government agencies and communities to prevent crime and maintain peace and order.
Peace and order indicator rises
Meanwhile, incidents under the Peace and Order Indicator (POI) rose 10.72 percent, which the PRO 7 attributed to intensified operations against violations of special laws.
The POI combines index and non-index crimes to help police assess peace and order in a community.
Non-index crimes cover offenses outside the index crime category, including violations of special laws such as those against illegal drugs, illegal gambling and illegal possession of firearms.
Non-index crimes accounted for 91.02 percent of the POI total, while index crimes made up 8.98 percent.
Although PRO 7 welcomed the decline in major crime indicators, Abad warned against complacency.
He said police would continue to focus on areas with high crime incidence and address recurring offenses through targeted interventions. / AYB