Ilocos Norte ‘generally peaceful’

By Freddie Lazaro 

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte – Police operatives have cited the province as generally peaceful during the first six months of the year during the joint 2nd quarter meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council and the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council last week.

               Col. Cesar Pasiwen, Ilocos Norte police chief, said only minor incidents were recorded during the May elections.

These were violations of the liquor ban in Laoag City and in the towns of Nueva Era, Piddig, and San Nicolas.

Pasiwen said 900 police officers have guarded voting centers during the polls.

He said Ilocos Norte has “a zero crime incident against tourists status” within the past six months.

“In addition, Ilocos Norte continues to be an insurgency-free province for a period of seven years,” he said.
               However, the police provincial office recorded a rise in vehicular accidents this year, which was up by 31percent from the first semester.

Pasiwen cited that the main causes of vehicular accidents were drunk driving, human error, lack of skills, and lack of road signages.

PADAC had declared Ilocos Norte as 100 percent “drug-cleared” last March, although 239 barangays were still under validation by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.