COTABATO CITY -- Police authorities in North Cotabato on Sunday announced that proactive stance and public cooperation led to the reduced number of crime incidence in the province in 2019 as compared to last year.
Lt. Col. Bernard Tayong, speaking for the North Cotabato police provincial office, said from January 1 to December 28 this year, police record showed 3,080 crime incidents have occurred in North Cotabato’s 17 municipalities and Kidapawan City.
This is lower as compared to last year’s 3,747 crime incidents across the province.
Tayong attributed the reduced crime incidents to restored public confidence to police authorities and the police visibility strategy employed across the province.
“The public played a major role in crime prevention, we noted and appreciated that,” Tayong said in a local radio interview.
He said the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) remained to be the number one threat to security in North Cotabato.
While the presence of the New People’s Army (NPAs) was also a threat, Tayong said the communist intimidation has significantly decreased due to the “whole of nation” approach of the government.
As the province prepares for 2020, Tayong has again appealed to the public to remain vigilant against threats in their communities.
“A proactive and participative community help prevent crime and terrorism,” Tayong said. (PNA)
