MECQ cuts down crime volume in Iloilo City by 82 percent

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Apart from lesser traffic incidents, the imposition of the restrictive Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) significantly reduced Iloilo City’s crime volume.

The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) reported that only 60 total crime incidents were reported from June 1 to 15, the days when the city reverted to the MECQ status due to rising COVID-19 cases.

The number is 82.70 percent lower compared to 346 incidents in the same days in 2020, thanks to the implementation of quarantine control checkpoints (QCPs), augmentation of more personnel, and restricted movement of the populace.

Colonel Uldarico Garbanzos, Iloilo City police chief, said the additional police officers deployed to Iloilo City helped in the implementation of quarantine protocols and beefed up anti-criminality operations.

The MECQ in Iloilo City also affected the regional crime volume after the Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 recorded a 50.64 percent decrease in crime incidents in Western Visayas, from 928 last year to 458 cases on June 1-15, 2021.

During a command conference on Monday, Brigadier General Rolando Miranda, Western Visayas police chief, ordered the sustained deployment of personnel since other provinces are also implementing stricter quarantine restrictions.

“We will not pull out our augmented forces in the city. Nakikita ko na kailangan pa nila ng mga tao kasi patuloy parin ang pagtaas ng mga kaso ng COVID,” Miranda said.

At the onset of Iloilo City’s MECQ status, the PRO-6 headquarters deployed 500 personnel to ICPO to man the QCPs and boost anti-criminality efforts.

According to Colonel Lope Manlapaz, chief of the Regional Personal and Records Management Division, the 200 RMFB-6 personnel will remain in the city while the 300 police trainees will be recalled and replaced by 300 personnel who are slated to undergo Basic Internal Security Operations Course.

These personnel are from Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Negros Occidental and Bacolod City.

Meanwhile, Iloilo City Police Office will maintain its deployment in the borders for traffic control/management and crime prevention. Random checkpoints will also be conducted.

Iloilo City will remain under MECQ until June 30.