SWS: Filipinos say unsafe streets, drug problem rising

SCREENGRAB FROM THE SOCIAL WEATHER STATIONS’ SURVEY REVIEW

MANILA, Philippines — Many Filipinos have felt that the streets are becoming unsafe and the drug problem has increased under the new and present administration, the Social Weather Stations said.

“Crime victimization and neighborhood fear are on the rise,” the SWS said in its annual survey review published on Tuesday.

The SWS conducted its latest survey on December 10-14, 2022 with 1,200 adult respondents.

Of the respondents, 60 percent agreed with the statement, “people are usually afraid that robbers might break into their houses.”

Also, 50 percent agreed that “people are usually afraid to walk in the streets at night because it is not safe.” But, conversely, 40 percent also agree with the statement, “there are already very many people addicted to banned drugs.”

The SWS said the “neighborhood fears” declined in 2021 or during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Despite this, the same survey also showed that the government under Marcos got a “good” rating of +46 when fighting illegal drugs.

Philippine National Police chief Rodolfo Azurin has rebuffed the alleged “crime hike.”

The PNP reported more than 34,000 index crimes from January 1 to November 13, 2022, representing a decline of 2.66 percent compared to figures in the same period in 2021.

Index crimes, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, are crimes that the PNP deemed “serious in nature” as they frequently occur to the extent of these being a tell-tale sign of how crime-ridden an area is.

Among those considered index crimes are murder, homicide, physical injury, car theft, robbery, and rape.

JPV/abc