Less Filipinos victimized due to property crimes, but fear higher, SWS says

September 12, 2017

The number of Filipinos who became victims of crimes against property and any crimes fell to its lowest in June, while fear from burglars and theft on the streets went up during the second quarter, the Social Weather Stations Survey said on Tuesday. The survey, which was conducted from June 23-26 using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide, showed that 3.1 percent of families became victims of property crimes, such as street robbery, burglary (break-ins), and carnapping during the past six months. Property crimes in March was at 6.3 percent. Some 3.7 percent of the respondents said family members became victims of other crimes. Meanwhile, 59 percent of the respondents said they fear of becoming victims of burglary in June, higher than the 56 percent in March. Some 52 percent of the Filipinos also said they felt unsafe on the streets, higher than the 50 percent during the last quarter. Meanwhile, 48 percent of the respondents agreed with the statement that in their neighborhood there were already many drug addicts, lower than the 52 percent in March. Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella hailed the latest results of the SWS survey. "The government’s campaign against crimes and illegal drugs has resulted in less robberies, less physical violence, less fear of being in public spaces," he said in a statement. He said efforts ensuring public safety in the first year of the Duterte administration are yielding positive results. However, he admitted, "more needs to be accomplished in making sure that our streets, neighborhoods and communities are kept permanently safe, not only within Metro Manila but also in the rest of the country." Celerina Monte/DMS