Dumaguete: The number of shooting incidents in Negros Oriental in 2025 dropped 19.69 percent to 53 compared to 66 the previous year, an official said on Tuesday. Capt. Stephen Polinar, spokesperson of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOrPPO), attributed this decline to sustained enhanced police operations, particularly against loose firearms.

According to Philippines News Agency, Capt. Polinar highlighted that 22 cases were cleared, 29 were solved, and two remained under investigation in 2025. In contrast, the previous year saw 19 cases cleared, 45 solved, and two under investigation. He clarified that "solved cases" in police terminology refer to those submitted to the court with offenders apprehended or identified and charged.

Polinar mentioned that once cases are filed in court, prosecutors take over, leaving the police unaware of case statuses. In their campaign against loose firearms, 1,244 firearms were seized or recovered in 2025, while 1,481 were seized in 2024.

Additionally, 80 individuals were arrested last year through 1,187 operations, including checkpoints, search warrants, and drug buy-busts. The previous year saw 68 arrests with 1,246 operations conducted.