Is crime in the Philippines increasing?

[P_X]

On 4/16/2023 at 2:23 AM, Summer of 69 said:

I have an 11 month old son living near Ozamiz with his mother and it seems to me like the crime in the area has increased over the past year or two, with many incidents of kidnapping, robbery and even murder.

So I am interested to hear if other members on this site have experienced increasing crime in their areas. I am especially interested in Cebu city as this seems to be the best option as a new place for them to move to.

 

Crime here  (in comparison to the sudden degradation of most major cities in the states) is chicken. 

Maybe I'm rough around the edges having lived dirt poor as a kid in the north west, but to me, this place ( Cebu City) is like Mayberry. 

Of course there's a criminal element.  And yeah there's probably more to it than meets my eye, but to me it's like a cake walk.

Granted,  I don't walk around after midnight or nothin.. so who knows what comes outta the woodwork then. but in my immediate area, there's been nothing to give me pause.  

Lots of good, affordable places near cebu city to look into.

I live in ibabao and it's cheap and the people are great. I'm right near cclex so in 15 mins or so I'm in the heart of it. I dig it 

Edited April 18, 2023 by P_X
Typos

[Dave Hounddriver]

2 minutes ago, P_X said:

Maybe I'm rough around the edges having lived dirt poor as a kid in the north west

Anecdotally, living in the Philippines for 12 years I personally knew at least 4 other expats who were murdered.  Living anywhere else for the remaining 56 years of my life, no one I personally knew has been murdered.  But I don't think Philippines is particularly bad so long as an expat keeps his head down and stays out of other people's business.  All of the murders that come to mind, except one, had to do with guys who would not keep a low profile.  The one exception was murdered by his wife, who wanted his money but wanted to live with her new boyfriend.

[P_X]

38 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Anecdotally, living in the Philippines for 12 years I personally knew at least 4 other expats who were murdered. 

I'm no statistician but I'd say that statistically, that's high. 

My perception stems from other places in the states I've lived at in the past. Take north Portland for instance.  It was not uncommon for drive by shootings and murders in neighbors front yards.

Police standoffs were common place and countless times I couldn't even walk outside due to lock downs until the cops cleared up the mess.

I moved to rural Oregon to rid myself of that nonsense but after my divorce I had to relocate back to the city. 

The crime rate had skyrocketed in those 10 years.  Babbling beggars, high as kites, in groups on nearly every street corner.  Break ins and robberies galore. 

I spent 3 months mining in southern Oregon last summer and it was a proverbial nightmare. 

The tweekers had the run of the forest and all the neighboring cities were a mere shell of what they once were.

I didn't ever feel safe until I started open carrying and even then, the nights were sketchy as all get out. 

But those odds you recounted give me pause.

I wonder if my vlogging puts me on someone's radar. 

In general,  I feel extremely safe here but I'm not naive.  I'm certain there's an undercurrent of felonious activity, they're just better at masking it 

 

[Old55]

P_X we have the same issues with drug gang shootings and killings along Pacific Highway about four miles from our quiet town.

It's just that one area near us much like in Philippines. I would think some Filipino drug areas are simply not safe especially after dark. Like Dave we also know of two Americans murdered in Philippines by family members. In one case a brother-in-law the other the wife had it done. 

 

[Onemore52]

6 hours ago, P_X said:

Crime here  (in comparison to the sudden degradation of most major cities in the states) is chicken. 

Maybe I'm rough around the edges having lived dirt poor as a kid in the north west, but to me, this place ( Cebu City) is like Mayberry. 

Of course there's a criminal element.  And yeah there's probably more to it than meets my eye, but to me it's like a cake walk.

Granted,  I don't walk around after midnight or nothin.. so who knows what comes outta the woodwork then. but in my immediate area, there's been nothing to give me pause.  

Lots of good, affordable places near cebu city to look into.

I live in ibabao and it's cheap and the people are great. I'm right near cclex so in 15 mins or so I'm in the heart of it. I dig it 

I was talking to a fellow foreigner yesterday who got ripped off by the same mechanic as me, so we both agreed to say nothing to no one, then we live another day.

I don't reckon the mongrel will miss two foreigners but he could have used some lube on us.

 

[hk blues]

9 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Anecdotally, living in the Philippines for 12 years I personally knew at least 4 other expats who were murdered.  Living anywhere else for the remaining 56 years of my life, no one I personally knew has been murdered.  But I don't think Philippines is particularly bad so long as an expat keeps his head down and stays out of other people's business.  All of the murders that come to mind, except one, had to do with guys who would not keep a low profile.  The one exception was murdered by his wife, who wanted his money but wanted to live with her new boyfriend.

Your anecdote is probably not so much a case of the Philippines being dangerous as being dangerous for foreigners who don't play by the rules.

I can honestly say that I experienced more violence and crime back in the UK (North Manchester and Dundee) but I was much more out and about then and thus more exposed to such incidents.  I can't deny that the Philippines is 'dangerous' (all relative as mentioned by others )  based on what I read and hear even it hasn't touched my life yet.

[Possum]

Some crime here is within the family. Very family oriented people until....Karaoke

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1761804/father-hacks-son-to-death-due-to-fight-over-karaoke-microphone-in-quezon-province

LUCENA CITY — A father hacked his son to death in a squabble over a microphone during a karaoke session on Wednesday in Mulanay town in Quezon province.

Farmer Wilfredo Tolda, 48, and his son Reynante, 27, were engaged in a karaoke singing session during a drinking spree around 7 p.m. inside their house in Barangay Ibabang Yuni, the Quezon police said in a report Thursday, April 27.

As the music machine started to play the love song “Kung Sakaling Ikaw ay Lalayo” popularised by the J Brothers, the father and son struggled to hold the microphone to sing the song by himself alone.

During the incident, Wilfredo repeatedly hacked Reynante with an unspecified bladed weapon until he died on the spot, the police said.

The father fled after the incident and is now the subject of a police manhunt.

 

Edited April 28, 2023 by Mike J
Added text of article

[Gator]

On 4/19/2023 at 2:31 AM, P_X said:

In general,  I feel extremely safe here but I'm not naive.  I'm certain there's an undercurrent of felonious activity, they're just better at masking it 

I’m also certain as well. And let’s not forget that many crimes, especially minor ones, don’t get reported because ppl here know the police won’t bother to investigate (unless you pay them and even then it’s a maybe). 
 

Recently an acquaintance had his phone stolen out of his hand by the back rider on a motorbike. When I asked if he reported it, he said: “Why bother, the cops won’t do anything except put their hand out”.