By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff Reporter
LAOAG CITY—Ilocos Norte
continues to be one of the most peaceful provinces in the country as it has
been free from the clutches of the New People’s Army for the past seven years.
Lieutenant Colonel Jearie Boy P.
Faminial, commander of the 24th Infantry
(Wildcat) Battalion, 7th Infantry (Kaugnay) Division of the
Philippine Army confirmed this following the first quarter joint Provincial
Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council meeting
held at the Capitol auditorium, this city on March 18, 2019.
As directed by an Executive
Order signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on December 4, 2018, Mr. Faminial
said they are focused on institutionalizing the “whole nation approach” to
address insurgency and deliver basic services and social development packages
in conflict affected areas.
Fortunately, “Ilocos Norte is
not included in this package as it has been insurgency-free since 2012,” Mr. Faminial
pointed out.
He also allayed fears of some
local chief executives in the province saying there is no “infestation” here.
In time for the election
period, Bangui Mayor Fidel A. Cimatu, Jr. brought up the issue of simple
extortion activities as he reported some local candidates in the province have
been receiving text messages from alleged “enemy forces” offering them
protection service in exchange for money.
In the event of any
infestation, Mr. Faminial assured the “friendly forces” of the Philippine
National Police and Army are ready to address it.
Since January 2018, the 24th
Infantry Battalion (IB) based in Abra province has taken over Ilocos Norte
while the Provincial Mobile Force Company of the Philippine National Police is
now on the forefront of countering anti-terrorism threats in the province.
Zero crimes vs tourists
Meanwhile, also during their first quarter joint meeting, the
Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse
Council (PADAC) reported on special event security management since January,
revealing that there were no reported crime incidents committed against
tourists in Ilocos Norte.
Having been the host venue
for eight national events, including the Region 1 Athletic Association (R1AA) meet,
as well as the global Mister International Pageant, the province accommodated a
total of 78,885 visitors or very important persons (VIPs). Included in this
figure are 19 local events.
These show attainment towards
putting Ilocos Norte on top as a premier tourism destination, not merely in
terms of sites and facilities, but also in the assurance of peace, order, and
security for visitors and tourists.
Last year, the province hit
the three-million mark in number of day visitors.
The PPOC and PADAC also
shared updates on provincial crime volume during the same period [January to
March 2019] in comparison to previous years.
Between 2017 and 2018,
average monthly crime rate had been halved [53.84% to 22.32%]; however, there
was a slight increase this year, to 28.48%.
Nonetheless, there was a 36%
decrease during the said time period in index crimes, which include physical
injury, murder, homicide, rape, and crimes against properties. In particular
crimes against persons dropped by 44%, most notably in physical injury [34 to
16 cases].
The councils also reported on
the campaign against loose firearms, with a total of 21 operations conducted,
16 persons arrested, 15 firearms surrendered or confiscated, and 146 other
items confiscated, such as ammunition and replicas.
On drug clearing operations,
the PADAC reported a total of 6,449 surrendered drug personalities from July 1,
2016, to March 15, 2019. Of these, nine surrendered since January 2019.
To date, 520 or 100% of
Ilocos Norte barangays have been “drug-cleared” by PADAC; however, 46% or 239
of these are still undergoing validation by the Philippine Drug Enforcement
Agency (PDEA).
Overall, the councils assess
that the province remains relatively “tranquil, with the absence of violent
related incidents,” commending the cooperation among the Provincial Government
of Ilocos Norte (PGIN), stakeholders, and members of the local community in
crime prevention. (With a report from Mizpah
Grace G. Castro)
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