Crime In The Philippines ( Lots Of It )

[FlyAway]

Our last night in Northern Cotabato province my father in laws motorbike was taken. They cut the big lock securing the chain on the gate then cut the big lock and chain securing the motorbike to a pole on the house. They left the cut locks but took the chains to.

Motorbike theft is common there. They have taken most of the neighbors bikes and even taken the police chief's from his own home.

[tiger31]

After 9 years living at Manila, one thing i can say, i feel more secure than most of the western world cities.

Yes i have a big house, once someone tried to climb my fence to steal a blue small purse besides the window, a quick catch he thought. He never made it. I placed 8 surveillance cameras with one month in recording capability, i keep on showing to my helpers that i can find out what happened two weeks ago, so they talk it as gossip around, i place 6 motion sensors with a huge siren, from time to time i set it off during the day so they can all know it works, i got 3 dogs too which do not hesitate to bite. All in all costed me 1500$ dogs included hahahahahha,

Why i placed it? Just to keep peace of mind that not any unfortunate situation will happen where a stupid thief will try to snatch a cellphone or some other item (they grab whatever they might find, they will not search much, it's just hit in and out) and i or any of my family catch him. Then he might use a knife or a gun to avoid getting caught...things can elevate pretty high in such cases.

In Europe they brake in your house, beat you and tie you up, steal all they can from your house by searching thoroughly then torture you to give the pin numbers of your cards or the combination of your safe and then kill you and leave like gentlemen.

I only worry for my elder parents who still live there.

Your fence and all of your security equipment proves that you believe there's a high level of crime in Manila where you live. I grew up and lived in the USA most of my life and never even had a fence around my house.

I live in Carcar Cebu. There are a few drug addicts on my street and occasionally someone gets shot so when the sun goes down I make sure the security gate and all doors and windows are locked and I don't go outside if its not necessary at night.

A couple of days ago I took my motorbike outside to wash it. I brought the garden hose and the spay handle outside. I started to lay the spray handle down while I walked around the corner of the house to connect the hose to the faucet, but then I realized the spray handle could be gone when I got back. Do you think I'm over cautious or paranoid? You may not after you hear the next story.

My neighbor who lives on the first floor made a bird feeder using a plastic bottle and filled it with red sugar water. He placed it on his window seal. A man walking by picked up the bird feeder, removed the bottle and drank all of the red water while my neighbor watched him. In my neighborhood if you leave anything of any value outside it will soon be gone.

Where I lived in Alabama, USA I often left things outside for days and nothing was ever stolen.

you took the words right out of my mouth americano lol well i only need one dog my chihuahua she won,t let anybody in the house lol

[Mike S]

I grew up and lived in the USA most of my life and never even had a fence around my house.

When I was growing up we never had locks on the doors but had old fashion latches but then we lived in the middle of no where on a 20 acre farm ..... but times have changed everywhere .... before I left Florida I not only had chains and locks on my doors I also had a dog .... alarm and drop bar on the doors .....

Oh by the way my mother-in-law doesn't have locks on her doors or gate in the province so it all depends on where you live ..... just remember "a ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" ....... no matter where you live ...... and do they have crime there where she lives .... yes someone stole one of her chickens last week ..... but not out of her yard ..... :th_unfair: ...... :hystery:

[joeatmanila]

For the ones who look to live in a place with no crime, absolutely zero, pristine beaches, native life, close to the "modern world" try the island of Siquijor. Even the police there do not carry guns.

Live in a multi million people city of a 3rd world country and expect no crime...dreams are for free but this takes quite a few joints to dream it :) :) LOL!!!!

[i am bob]

For the ones who look to live in a place with no crime, absolutely zero, pristine beaches, native life, close to the "modern world" try the island of Siquijor. Even the police there do not carry guns.

Live in a multi million people city of a 3rd world country and expect no crime...dreams are for free but this takes quite a few joints to dream it :) :) LOL!!!!

Isn't that the island with the witches and magic brews? The one that many people are scared to stay overnight on? With a reputation like that, who needs police with guns?

:mocking:

[Papa Carl]

There are 3 kinds of lies, lies, damn lies and statistics"

Agreed! One of my favorite books in college was titled "How to Lie with Statistics". So how about some statistics (haha)!

Seriously, I've wondered about crime in the Phils for some time -- it could be a game-changer for me. But it does seem like it depends on the location (true of everywhere).

Buried in the US State Department website (http://travel.state....th2=12&start=25) is a page which lists "Deaths of US Citizens Abroad from Non-Natural Causes". Non-natural causes are Homicide, Suicide, Vehicle, and Other. Deaths are listed by Country/Location in Country/Date/and Type.

So how about the Phils? First, there are some huge asterisks that need to be mention. (1) These are only deaths reported to the embassy. But I think you can assume that all (or at least most all) homicides are reported. Other deaths might not be. (2) There are over 300,000 American citizens in the Phils -- the great majority being Fil-Ams. But I assume most people on this list are ex-patriot Americans, although I have no proof of that.

Anyway, this is what I found for the years 2010, 2011, and 2012 through June 10

Total Homicides: 29 (14 in 2010, 13 in 2011, and 4 in 2012.

Vehicle/Other Deaths: 39 (23 in 2010, 10 in 2011, and 6 in 2012)

Suicides: 10 (2 in 2010, 5 in 2011, and 3 in 2012)

Homicides by Location for the years 2010, 2011 and 2012 through June 10

Angeles City/Pampanga: 6

Zambalas: 3

Cavite - Tagatay, Cebu, Batangas, Palawan, Bulacan: 2 in each location

Bataan, Davao, Makati, Surigao del Sur, Laguna, Ilocos Norte, Cabantuan, Iloilo, Benguet, Iligan: 1 in each location.

What does it mean? Lots of different spins you can put on the numbers (lies, damn lies and statistics!) (1) you are more likely to be killed in a car accident than murdered -- true in most countries. (2) Stay out of Angeles City?? Papa Carl! What's happening in your neighborhood? (3) The murder rate of ex patriots is very high. This list is only Americans. I know several Australians have been murdered (mining company execs) and at least 1 Canadian. Phils BI lists 65,000 foreigners in the country. So a rate of 15 per year is over 20/100,000. (4) Terrorists are not a threat. (Perhaps because expats avoid the terrorists areas)

What you conclude from the numbers is up to you. I haven't made up my mind. What about Thailand? you ask. About the same number of deaths in the 2010-2012 period, but only 4 homicides. I could not find the total foreign population living in Thailand, but I remember reading there were about 65,000 in Chiang Mei. Thailand is saver. Phils more friendly, IMOH.

In a previous post I just quoted what happened to me a few days ago. This is not the first time that something like this has happened to me, but it is the first time here in Angeles. Previously while in Makati, I was on a Jeepney while some thugs tried to rob everyone by knife point, and in Quezon again in a Jeepney while thugs were robbing people.

Yes there are deaths here of foreigners, but in the majority of those cases they are related in some way to people who own or work in one of the many bars on Fields Ave. For the majority of foreigners here who are not involved in that industry, it is much safer.

My house was broken into in Canada, and in the UK. My business was broken into in the UK, so I guess as some have said ...., it happens everywhere.

Do I feel safe living in Angeles, .... Yes, as safe or safer than when I was living in Manila, in Makati or in Pasig.

Papa Carl

[joeatmanila]

For the ones who look to live in a place with no crime, absolutely zero, pristine beaches, native life, close to the "modern world" try the island of Siquijor. Even the police there do not carry guns.

Live in a multi million people city of a 3rd world country and expect no crime...dreams are for free but this takes quite a few joints to dream it :) :) LOL!!!!

Isn't that the island with the witches and magic brews? The one that many people are scared to stay overnight on? With a reputation like that, who needs police with guns?

:mocking:

Yup, that's the one!!! My favorite island in this country, planning my retirement paradise there. Keep the wiches and ghosts and all these kind of stories, vivid and alive. Keeps the island with it's own population, which somehow they are all related to each other, and the tranquility for us who want to enjoy it.

[Americano]

A man walking by picked up the bird feeder, removed the bottle and drank all of the red water while my neighbor watched him

why not put some Jonestown Koolaid in it? so when this thristy person who is tresspassing decides to take a drink, he wil drink no more.

Serious. that is pretty scary that some one would drink anything at all.& with the owner looking

I only said the owner was looking to prove that he was sure what happened. His windows have a tint that makes it hard to see inside so I doubt the man saw him. The man must have been insane, on drugs or really drunk. Whatever his problem is he's a thief.

[Americano]

Our last night in Northern Cotabato province my father in laws motorbike was taken. They cut the big lock securing the chain on the gate then cut the big lock and chain securing the motorbike to a pole on the house. They left the cut locks but took the chains to.

Motorbike theft is common there. They have taken most of the neighbors bikes and even taken the police chief's from his own home.

My wife grew up in the area so I asked her about the crime there. She said its a Muslim area. When a Muslim man wants to marry a Muslim girl he has to pay the girls father a large sum to take her as his wife, from 100,000 to 500,000 pesos depending on how pretty she is. The only way for the man to come up with this much money is for him to steal a few motorbikes, carabao. jewelry, and anything of value.

Large bolt cutters are sold in the CitiHardware stores. I believe they should be a very controlled item and only sold to agencies or companies who need them to conduct business and be accounted for at all times.

Edited September 22, 2012 by Americano

[FlyAway]

My wife grew up in the area so I asked her about the crime there. She said its a Muslim area. When a Muslim man wants to marry a Muslim girl he has to pay the girls father a large sum to take her as his wife, from 100,000 to 500,000 pesos depending on how pretty she is. The only way for the man to come up with this much money is for him to steal a few motorbikes, carabao. jewelry, and anything of value.

Large bolt cutters are sold in the CitiHardware stores. I believe they should be a very controlled item and only sold to agencies or companies who need them to conduct business and be accounted for at all times.

Bold Cutters, the ultimate "Master Key"

Yeah, lots of Muslim in this area. But I have yet to see one without a hand around here. So much for Sharia Law.