THE Misamis Oriental provincial police office's eight focus crimes have dropped in the third quarter of this year, the province's top cop said early this week.

Provincial police director Senior Superintendent Rolando Destura said cases of murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, robbery, theft, and carnapping have decreased since July to September, this year.

Destura made the report during the meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) last Monday.

Destura said murder cases dropped from 49 to 35 or 28.57 percent; From 15 homicide incidents, it reduced to nine; From 52 cases of carnapping, it fell to 25 while from 407 theft cases it significantly dropped to 73.

Also, cases of rape decreased from 107 to 49 while from 149 robbery incidents it dropped to 41.

Destura said the crime reduction was a result of the combined efforts of the police and the local government officials in curbing criminality in the communities that threatens the tourism industry of the province.

Governor Yevgeny Emano, meanwhile, said during the PPOC meeting that he is willing to spend big to ensure that the 19th convention of the Association of Tourism Officers in the Philippines (ATOP) which the capitol is hosting on October 3 to 6 is secured and successful.

Emano said he will get budget from his intelligence funds for the security of the three-day gathering which will be attended by over 1,000 participants.

The governor explained that the capitol is hosting the event not just to promote tourist destinations of the province to the world but also to create economic activity.