Shooting incidents in Western Visayas drop 23.8% in September

ILOILO CITY — Shooting incidents in Western Visayas declined by 23.8% in September, with the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) recording 16 cases, down from 21 in August.

While welcoming the decrease, PRO-6 said one month of data was not enough to determine whether its Restrict, Track, and Turn-In (RTT) campaign had significantly contributed to the decline.

The initiative aims to remove loose firearms from communities through intelligence operations, firearms validation, voluntary surrender and community engagement.

According to PRO-6, all 3,389 barangays across Western Visayas have joined the campaign, resulting in the voluntary surrender of 3,617 firearms.

PRO-6 Director Police Brigadier Gen. Randulf T. Tuaño said the decline in shooting incidents was encouraging but stressed the need to sustain the gains through continued enforcement and community participation.

Authorities are urging residents to report information about loose firearms and other security threats to the nearest police station or through Unified 911.

The police said sustained cooperation between communities and law enforcement remains important in preventing gun-related incidents and improving public safety.