Rommel C. Lontayao
Manila Times

About 11.5 percent of Filipino families have become victims of common crimes in the previous months, a latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.

The November 29 to December 3, 2007 SWS survey found that 10.5 percent of families lost property while 1.3 percent suffered physical violence.

It also showed that 8.6 percent of families were victimized by pickpockets and 3 percent were victimized by burglary in the past six months, in reference to the time the survey was conducted.

The SWS survey also showed that 1.9 percent of motor vehicle owners were victims of car theft in the past six months.

The proportion of families with a member hurt by physical violence was 1.3 percent.

According to SWS, the figures sum up to 11.5 percent of families who reported victimization by one of the common crimes, while the average number of times a family was victimized by crime was placed at 1.2.

Pickpocketing on the rise in Metro Manila

The survey added that Metro Manila families pickpocketed in the previous six months has been usually at double-digits since September 2006, briefly eased to 9.3 percent in September 2007, but rose to 16.3 percent again in December 2007.

“Outside Metro Manila, pick­pocketing is typically in single-digits: 8.7 percent in Balance Luzon (areas outside of Metro Manila in Luzon), 6.7 percent in Mindanao, and 5.3 percent in the Visayas as of December 2007,” the survey stated.

Families who suffered break-ins were 5.0 percent in Metro Manila, 3.3 percent in Balance Luzon, 2.3 percent in Mindanao, and 1.7 percent in the Visayas, the survey also showed.

Vehicle-owning families whose vehicles were stolen were 5.2 percent in Metro Manila, and 2.3 percent in Balance Luzon. No car theft cases were recorded in Visayas and Mindanao areas, according to SWS.

“Families with any member hurt from physical violence in the past six months were 2.3 percent in Metro Manila, 1.3 percent in Balance Luzon, 1 percent in Min­danao, and 0.7 percent in the Visayas,” it added.

The proportion of victimization of families by common crimes was 14.9 percent in August 2004, but dropped to around 8.3 percent in June 2006. It reached double-digits from September 2006 to February 2007, ranging from 10.7 percent to 13.2 percent before the figures eased to 9.6 percent in June and 9.5 percent in September. This, however, rose again to 11.5 percent in December.

The SWS said its survey on crime victimization was not commissioned and was conducted on their own initiative.

Since 1989, SWS has been asking respondents of each quarterly survey whether any household member became a victim of theft outside the home, home break-in, or violence in the past six months.