Lesser Pinoy families victimized by common crimes in Q2 — SWS

Filipino families who said they became victims of common crimes such as pickpocketing or robbery of personal property, break-ins, carjacking, and physical violence declined to only 5.3 percent, according to the Second Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey. (Shutterstock photo)

A recent survey of Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealed that the number of Filipino families victimized by common crimes over the past six months has dropped to an estimated 1.2 million.

From the 6.6 percent or about 1.5 million Filipino families last March, Filipino families who said they became victims of common crimes such as pickpocketing or robbery of personal property, break-ins, carjacking, and physical violence declined to only 5.3 percent, according to the Second Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey.

The pollster said those who experienced losing property to street robbery, burglars, or carjacker decreased by 5.1 percent or an estimated 1.2 million families from the 6.1 percent or 1.4 million families in March 2018.

Those who were hurt by physical violence, the SWS said, fell to a “record-low” 0.2 percent or 45,000 Filipinos, a 0.4 point below the 0.6 percent or 145,000 families last March.

Since 1989, the SWS has been asking its 1,200 survey respondents nationwide if anyone in their household fell victim to street robbery, home break-in, or violence in the past six months. It was in 1992 when the pollster included motor vehicle theft to its list of crimes.

“Victimization by common crimes reported in SWS surveys is much higher than the number of crimes actually reported to the police,” the SWS said.

The recent survey, conducted from June 27 to 30, also revealed that 4.0 percent or 930,000 families were victimized by street robbery, while 1.8 percent or 431,000 Filipinos were victimized by break-ins.

It added that among those who own any kind of motor vehicle, 0.5 percent or 52,000 survey respondents said they were robbed of it in the past six months.

In terms of location, the SWS noted that the number of families robbed of their personal property outside of their homes declined in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, and in the Visayas, except in Mindanao where President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law.

Meanwhile, Filipinos who experienced break-ins became lesser in both Balance Luzon and Metro Manila but increased in Visayas and Mindanao.

As of June 2018, the survey showed that none of its respondents in Metro Manila and the Visayas suffered from carjacking; however, the quarterly victimization by this crime rose in Balance Luzon and Mindanao.

In addition, the number of physical violence cases reduced in Metro Manila, while there were no cases recorded in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Malacañang, on its part, lauded the result of the latest survey.

“Bumaba pa po ang numero ng krimen at ang taumbayan na mismo ang nagsasabi nito (The number of crimes has decreased and it is the public who said it),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr. said on Thursday, September 20.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde also welcomed the results, saying that it is a proof that the Duterte administration’s campaign against crime and illegal drugs is effective.

“Actually itong crime rate natin, pababa naman ito… downtrend kasi ito. Although sabi ko nga, ‘di natin pwedeng gawing zero, at least ma-minimize natin ‘yung problema natin on crimes (Actually, our crime rate is declining… It is on the downtrend. Although I said that we cannot make it zero, at least we were able to minimize our problems on crimes),” Albayalde told reporters yesterday.

“In the first two years na Duterte administration nasa almost 50 percent ang pagbaba ng crime volume natin. So meaning, maganda ‘yung programa ng administrasyong ito (In the first two years of the Duterte administration, the decline in the crime volume is at almost 50 percent. So meaning, the program of this administration is good),” he added.