The body count of drug suspects who have been killed in Bohol reached 47 in just over three months since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office, said an official of the Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO).

The disclosure was made by Chief Insp. Rolly Lauron, BPPO investigation and detective management head, during the inaugural edition of Talakayan Sa Isyung Pulis (TSIP) on Thursday in Camp Dagohoy.

Lauron said that the BPPO from July 1 to Oct. 15 recorded 22 killings of suspects in legitimate police operations and 25 drug-related deaths which are under investigation.

The BPPO has been repeatedly denying allegations that some of said drug-linked deaths were extrajudicial killings.

Murder cases, based on BPPO data, increased to 33 from July 1 to October 15 this year compared to the recorded 24 in the same period in 2015.

Incidence of homicide was stagnant as 6 were recorded in said period both this year and in 2015.

In other 2015-2016 comparisons of the same period, rape cases went down from 24 to 20, carnapping from 47 to 30 and cattle rustling from six to two.

Meanwhile, incidences of robbery and theft plummeted by large margins. Robbery cases dropped from 150 to 89 while theft cases significantly decreased from 475 to 321.

The data presented by Lauron also noted that index crimes in the same period dropped as only 724 cases were recorded this year, 213 cases lesser than 2015’s tally of 937.

Lauron also told media during the TSIP program that non-index crimes decreased to 1,332 from 1,421.

Also present during the relaunch of TSIP were high-ranking officials of the BPPO including Provincial Director Senior Supt. Felipe Natividad.

Chiefs of various police stations and branches of the BPPO also joined the affair. (Rey Tutas)

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