The Streets Do Seem To Be Getting More Dangerous

[Mr Lee]

:lol: It seems like the robbers are getting pretty brazen nowadays.3 people robbed in broad daylight CEBU, Philippines - Three people lost their money and belongings to motorcycle-riding men along A.S. Fortuna St., Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City yesterday morning. PO1 Recson Telen said the victims were discussing business at one of the benches near an establishment that sells motorcycles around 10am when a man, identified later as Kimwell Albo, disembarked from a motorcycle, approached them, and demanded for their belongings. The victims were identified as Rufo Bokog Jr., 29, of Lapu-Lapu City; Jesusa Japon, 30, of Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City; and Ann Pocong, 29, of Barangay Maguikay, also in Mandaue City. Bokog, is an active member of the Philippine Air Force and is based at the Mactan Air Base in Lapu-Lapu City.Bokog said none of them attempted to resist Albo, especially when they saw the .45 caliber firearm in his hand. Telen said the driver of the motorcycle kept an eye on them just a few meters away. “Wala ra sukli kay armado pa unya dili baya kalayog ang babaye kay pila ra’y kusog,” Telen said.The suspects took away a Sony laptop worth P40,000; three cellular phones amounting to P16,000; two wallets containing P5,000; a gold necklace worth P11,000; a Seiko watch worth P5,000; and identification cards and ATM cards. The victims later identified Albo at the rogue’s gallery at the Police Station 4 in Barangay Casuntingan, Mandaue.Albo is now subjected to a manhunt operation.

[Old55]

To keep this in perspective, could it be the newspapers are reporting street crime more often? Or maybe victims are going to the police where in the past they did not? I’m not saying I disagree with you Lee, as you know we only visit more or less once a year. We do know that drug use is growing and that must be affecting the metro Cebu City area in a negative way.Could it be the same nice folks who took from those Koreans last week?I'm curious what our members living there think.

[Old55]

I do hope this will not turn into a "why I hate Philippines" topic. The fact is Philippines is a safe place to visit even with all the bad stuff going on. I fear the police or those rent-a-cops with finger on trigger more than anything. I've lost count how many times a guard has "swept" me with his shotgun.

[Mr Lee]

To keep this in perspective, could it be the newspapers are reporting street crime more often? Or maybe victims are going to the police where in the past they did not? I’m not saying I disagree with you Lee, as you know we only visit more or less once a year. We do know that drug use is growing and that must be affecting the metro Cebu City area in a negative way.Could it be the same nice folks who took from those Koreans last week?I'm curious what our members living there think.

Sorry I do not mean this to be a negative thread but people need to be more aware and take necessary precautions. My wife and I take more taxis and less jeepneys as time passes, that way less likely to get into harms way. We will still spend the same amount of time in the Philippines, yet be more cautious when walking around the streets. You could be correct and it could be more reporting, but it does seem likely that the more the economy of the world sinks, the more crime there will be in the Philippines, or any other country, but multiplied in poor countries IMO due to the trickle down. Let me put it this way, I believe less people are moving to the Philippines than before, or the rate has slowed down. I have no facts to back this up other than news reports I have read. So while tourism is picking up, possibly less permanent people moving over and I have read on forums of quite a few moving back to where they came from, or seeking greener pastures, so less money being spent in the country. Also the more the news reports, the less often people venture out of their homes, thus less spending. I can only judge my above statements by some people I know who live in the Philippines and write to me, and by my own change in habits about spending because less money is coming in from my retirement plans, so my wife and I go out less often here and there, and it all snowballs around the world if many people are doing the same as my wife and I are. The lower exchange rate is not helping things either, so getting less exchange means less pesos spent. It is a viscous cycle and people have to eat and feed their families, so less money around will mean more crime IMHO.

[Bruce]

Well this story must be bogus as anyone know that in a case like this, even when reported months later, the police are in HOT PURSUIT! Not some manhunt operation. I think that the crime rate in Cebu is no different or maybe less than and CERTAINLY less violent than crime here in parts of Florida. I have no fears when I am in Cebu and all I do is follow normal precautions that make sense. I love to shop in Colon... day time. never been there at night. Same logic applies to other areas and I also give a few thousand pesos to the Pinay I am with to pay bills / taxi / shopping when we are out. She handles the local people and the money. I just stand there looking pretty...... (well I try) So no issues there.

Edited September 19, 2011 by Bruce

[sjp52]

The way I see it here in the Philippines is worse than a 1st world country because there are more poor and desperate people and the law next to non existing. These bandits know we are easy pickings as we have no gun and they know we usually carry more money than a Filipino and they also know that the odds are in their favor that they will get away with it. I just wish that if they have to rob some one that they take the money and run, They don,t have to shoot the victim dead like what happens in a lot of the cases. The person that thinks its not too bad here because it hasn,t happened to them yet, needs to look around them and see how much violence there is. A foreigner was robbed then shot dead right outside of my subdivision near the gate in CDO. My brother in law and a friend were beaten with pipes and stabbed. My wife has had her purse snatched. I hired a murderer for a job I was doing and didn,t even know it ( he had just gotten out of jail ). Two women ( neighbors near my wifes little house ) got into an argument and one took a rock and spit open the other ones head. Its a little more violence than I,m use to back home in Canada. With all the negative that I have said there is a lot of positive too. Most of the Filipinos here will share with you even when they have so little. In my eyes that is more of a sacrifice then what we give with all are money. Its easy to give when you have lots but much harder and more generous when you only have enough for your self but still share. Where else can you go where you only have to pay a third of the traffic ticket you got, Thanks to that kind and generous police man. And the store clerks are always trying to save you money ( out of stock sir ). The Philippines has a lot of violent people but they also have a lot of good and friendly people. I guess we just have to focus on the later because the other will leave a bitter taste in your mouth and we can hope that in the future we will not be one of those poor victims

[Bruce]

The way I see it here in the Philippines is worse than a 1st world country because there are more poor and desperate people and the law next to non existing. These bandits know we are easy pickings as we have no gun and they know we usually carry more money than a Filipino and they also know that the odds are in their favor that they will get away with it. I just wish that if they have to rob some one that they take the money and run, They don,t have to shoot the victim dead like what happens in a lot of the cases. The person that thinks its not too bad here because it hasn,t happened to them yet, needs to look around them and see how much violence there is. A foreigner was robbed then shot dead right outside of my subdivision near the gate in CDO. My brother in law and a friend were beaten with pipes and stabbed. My wife has had her purse snatched. I hired a murderer for a job I was doing and didn,t even know it ( he had just gotten out of jail ). Two women ( neighbors near my wifes little house ) got into an argument and one took a rock and spit open the other ones head. Its a little more violence than I,m use to back home in Canada. With all the negative that I have said there is a lot of positive too. Most of the Filipinos here will share with you even when they have so little. In my eyes that is more of a sacrifice then what we give with all are money. Its easy to give when you have lots but much harder and more generous when you only have enough for your self but still share. Where else can you go where you only have to pay a third of the traffic ticket you got, Thanks to that kind and generous police man. And the store clerks are always trying to save you money ( out of stock sir ). The Philippines has a lot of violent people but they also have a lot of good and friendly people. I guess we just have to focus on the later because the other will leave a bitter taste in your mouth and we can hope that in the future we will not be one of those poor victims

Well. the most important thing you said was "Its a little more violence than I am used to back home in Canada". English speaking Canadians are well known to be polite and well educated so there is a huge contrast between the two different social structures when observing life in the Philippines. It is all relative to what you are used to and comfortable with. Here in Florida, as we speak, there are about 600,000 +++ active gun carry permits. Most car windows are tinted to some degree from slight to blackout. Local police are used to it. But take a NY city cop and get him to work here and he is freaking out for the 1st year because where he is from and worked before there were (almost) no legal gun permits and no tinted windows. It is always easier to go from a high(er) crime area to a lower crime area then the reverse. I have friends from South Africa who tell stories of women fighting with knitting needles (pay per view material!) and bodies stacked in the street with note pinned on them as who there were and what they did. The police changed shifts at 7am and there was an understanding between them and the local vigilanties as where and when to drop off the robber-boys bodies. There are hundreds and hundreds of police killed there every year and other countries send their police and paramedics to SA for training...... So I think that if there was a crime rating system in place, Phils would be no where near the top. Florida where I live is far more violent. But at least we can fight back or a passer by might offer a bullet or two for the common cause. Out on Samar, there are a few robberies and then a few killings / kidnappings by the muslims, but really, far less than you see here in Florida by our local thugs (college foot ball players training for everything from shoplifting to rape(s) murders, thefts, drug making / selling, and of course, domestic violence..... so they will be well trained to join the NFL and travel city to city commiting crimes) Edited September 19, 2011 by Bruce

[MikeB]

I agree with the post directly above and I wonder what is the purpose of constantly posting these robbery and scam stories. They are a daily occurrence in almost every city in the world. I think we are all aware of the dangers here but they are not much different from almost anywhere else and yes, I know I have no rights here (don't need to be reminded daily). Take necessary precautions but you can't be afraid to walk out of the house or stick up for yourself when necessary.

[sjp52]

I have to agree that there is violence all over the world. My point was, I have witnessed more violence here in the Philippines in the last 2 years than I have in my entire life. I also own a place in Florida and have traveled around there quite a bit in the last 20 years, Yes it is more dangerous than my place in Canada but I have just not witnessed it. Maybe it is just my bad luck that I have seen so much of it here in such a short time. We have to base our decisions on living here on our own past experiences and compare them to here. My house in Canada is on the border of the US. I live very close to Detroit and have been to the slums of that city, Now thats a jungle and I wouldn,t want to live there. Where I live in Canada you don,t even have to lock your doors at night and if any one was ever seen with a gun the police would be all over them in minutes My original thoughts were to spend 6 months in the Philippines and 6 months in the west but the more violence I see here the more I lean towards spending more time in the west. I have to spend some time in the Philippines because of my wife and also I have a strong bond with her family, But maybe just 3 months a year Don,t get me wrong I love the Philippines and all it has to offer. Being able to live in both countries is like having 2 lives and they are totally different from each other. I just get a little antsy every time I hear of another foreigner who bites the dust and it bothers me that I have a target on my chest that says rob me I have lots of money and no way to defend against you ( just because I am a foreigner )

[Bruce]

Have your wife get a (legal) gun. And she may also get a carry permit depending on where you live. Plan ahead and you will sleep better at night.