Ilocos Norte Rated Second with Least Number of Shooting Incidents in Region 1

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte – Shooting incidents in the province have been on the rise but police reports culled from the four Ilocos provinces showed that Ilocos Norte ranked second to La Union as having the least number of cases in 2010.
The Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office said shooting incidents reached 108 cases, 22 of which involved motorcycle-riding men, for the period January to December.

Most incidents took place during the election period in April (presidential elections) and October (synchronized barangay elections).

Police records showed that Pangasinan registered the highest number of shooting incidents followed by Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and La Union.

Police Supt. Marlou Chan, Ilocos Norte police provincial director, said the province continues to be one of the safest areas in the Ilocos Region despite the presence of isolated shooting incidents.

“Our crime solution efficiency of 55 percent is even higher than the region wide mark of 36 percent,” he said.
Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos said there was a need to address the incidents involving guns so as not to scare investors away.

“While we are in the bottom list of shooting incidents, there is still a need to prevent these cases from happening again,” she said during the provincial peace and order council meeting earlier this week.

Marcos said the provincial government has given its full support to the PNP in its war against loose firearms and private armies with the creation of the task force anti-private armed group.

The anti-PAG was given fund allocation to implement the task force’s goals of dismantling private armies and seize loose firearms. (Cristina Arzadon)