A Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, conducted from Sept. 14 to 23, found that 6.1 percent of families reported being victims of common crimes—such as pickpocketing, robbery, break-ins, carnapping, or physical violence—within the past six months.

This is higher than the 3.8 percent recorded in June 2024 and the highest since the 8.1 percent in September 2023, SWS said.

SWS also noted a sharp increase in the percentage of families victimized by cybercrimes, which rose from 3.7 percent in June to a new record-high 7.2 percent in September.

The results of the non-commissioned survey were released on Nov. 9.

Property crime victimization

In the latest SWS survey, 5.5 percent of families reported being victimized by property crimes—pickpocketing or street robbery, burglary or break-ins, and carnapping—within the past six months. 

This is slightly higher than the 3.5 percent in June 2024 and the highest since the 7.8 percent in September 2023.

Except for June 2016, when property crime victimization reached 10.9 percent, rates have been consistently in the single digits since March 2012, SWS said.

However, it noted that the percentage of those victimized by street robbery have increased in all areas.

In Metro Manila, it increased from 3.7 percent in June to 6 percent in September. 

In Balance Luzon, it went up from 1.8 percent to 4.5 percent, in the Visayas from 1 percent to 3 percent, and in Mindanao from 1.7 percent to 2.7 percent. 

Conversely, quarterly victimization by break-ins rose in Metro Manila (1.7 percent to 2.7 percent), Balance Luzon (1.5 percent to 1.8 percent), and the Visayas (1.3 percent to 4.7 percent), but dropped in Mindanao (2.3 percent to 1.0 percent).

While carnapping rates rose in Metro Manila (0.3 percent to 1.9 percent) and the Visayas (0.3 percent to 1.3 percent), they remained unchanged in Balance Luzon and Mindanao.

Physical violence also increased in Metro Manila from 0.3 percent to 1 percent, the Visayas from 0.3 percent to 1.3 percent, and Mindanao from 0.3 percent to 0.7 percent. It stayed at 0.7 percent in Balance Luzon.

Cybercrime

SWS said the quarterly victimization by cybercrime rose in Metro Manila from 3 percent in June to 12.3 percent in September 2024, in Balance Luzon from 5.2 percent to 6.3 percent, in the Visayas from 1.7 percent to 7.7 percent, and in Mindanao from 3 percent to 5.7 percent.

Fear of crime remains high

The SWS survey also found that 56 percent of Filipino adults feared burglary, a slight increase from 55 percent in June. 

Meanwhile, 48 percent expressed fear of walking the streets at night, almost unchanged from 50 percent. 

Concerns about drug addiction in the neighborhood decreased slightly, with 41 percent of respondents noticing the presence of many drug addicts, down from 46 percent in June.

The Third Quarter 2024 SWS survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults, aged 18 and above, nationwide—300 each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon (or Luzon outside Metro Manila), the Visayas, and Mindanao. 

The sampling error margins are ±2.8 percent for national figures, and ±5.7 percent for each of the four major areas: Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.