VIOLENCE against women and children in Benguet province continuously decrease in the past three years.
Some 312 crimes against children and 466 against women were recorded in 2014 but in succeeding years, Benguet Provincial Police Office (PPO) data shows a continuous decline from 2015 to 2017.
Senior Police Officer 1 Mitchilyn Serrano of the Benguet PPO Women and Children Protection Desk said physical injuries were dominant cases against women all throughout the past three years.
Benguet recorded 119 physical injuries in 2017 as compared to 200 in 2016, while rape serves as top crime committed for children with 55 recorded in 2015, 53 cases in 2016, and 27 in 2017.
Other crimes committed includes incest rape, acts of lasciviousness, homicide, and unjust vexation.
Serrano added most perpetrators against women comprised mostly of live in partners and husbands while children were abused by their parents.
Although the number of crimes has dipped, Serrano said interventions still remain with continuous information education campaign conducted by authorities reaching out to communities and schools by providing lectures and seminars.
Provincial Social Welfare Development Officer Juana Banawe said abused women seek counseling which has resulted to the decrease of abuses.
"Women are now empowered. They know where to put themselves and join women's organization," said Banawe.