TWO minors listed as two most wanted persons in Agusan del Norte province were arrested by authorities, on Tuesday, for rape charges, police reports said on Thursday.

Belated reports reaching the Philippine National Police (PNP) operations center in Camp Crame said that the two minors from Brgy. Ambacon, Las Nieves were arrested by the police at Purok 1, Bgry. Mat-1, also in the same town.

The reports said that the two were arrested by the police based on arrest warrants issued by a court in Butuan City for rape charges in relation to Republic Act 7610 or anti-trafficking act with no bail recommended.

The two minors are in temporary custody of the police for proper disposition and documentation, the reports said.

Earlier, a PNP report disclosed that the number of children being involved in criminal activities have been on the rise by as much as 300 percent from year 2007 up to 2011.

Figures from the PNP Women’s and Children Protection Center (WCPC) revealed that in 2007, it recorded 1,825 children in conflict with the law (CIC); the figures rose to 5,318 cases in 2011 or a 290-percent increase.

The PNP WCPC figures also showed an increasing number of juvenile delinquency cases in between years with 2,158 CIC cases recorded in 2008; 2,735 CIC cases recorded in 2009 and 4,246 CIC cases recorded in 2010.

Police figures also showed that theft and robbery, sexual cases and physical injuries are the most common crimes that were committed by children.