The number of curfew violators in Iloilo City has reached more than a thousand, data from the Police Regional Office (PRO-6) showed.

From March 18 to April 20, a total of 1,258 persons were found violating the curfew, which runs from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.

The city’s recorded number is among the highest in the whole Western Visayas.

Bacolod City ranked first with 1,888 curfew violators and followed by Negros Occidental with 1,480.

All in all, Western Visayas registered 5,181 violators. Of the figure, 57 were fined, 56 were arrested, and 5,068 were warned.

Local government units (LGUs) in the region implemented curfew hours in their respective areas to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Police also arrested 346 persons for disobedience to authorities. The PRO-6 set the 300 for regular filing, while the rest are subject for inquest.

Meanwhile, the number of crime incidents in the region went down by 45 percent from 234 in the Feb.16-March 16 period to 106 in the March 17-April 16 period.

These year’s figures are also lower compared to last year’s total cases with 362 from Feb. 16 to March 16 and 133 from March 17 to April 16.

Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan, PRO 6 regional director, attributed the decrease to lockdowns, Enhanced Managing Police Operations (E-MPO) and the establishment of checkpoints.IMT

Photo of curfew violators in La Paz district, Iloilo City by Super Radyo-Iloilo