By Azer Parrocha/PNA
MANILA — Malacañang on Saturday said Filipinos feel safer despite survey results showing an increase in the number of Filipinos who fell victim to crimes within the past six months.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made this remark following the 2018 Third Quarter Survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), which showed that 6.1 percent of families or 1.4 million families fell victim to common crimes.
According to the survey conducted on Sept. 15 to 23, common crimes include pickpocket or robbery of personal property, break-ins, carnapping, and physical violence.
This figure is 0.7 higher than the 5.3 percent or estimated 1.2 million families in June 2018, and identical to the 6.1 percent in September 2017.
Panelo noted that although slightly higher than the second quarter, it is still the lowest third quarter crime victimization reported in recent years, the highest being 13 percent in September 2010.
He cited how Filipinos felt safer because the Duterte administration has taken strides to fight crime and illegal drugs.
“Significant strides have been made by the current administration through its war against criminality, including those related to illegal drugs,” Panelo said.
“Indeed, Filipinos now feel safer knowing fully well the government’s stance against criminals and drug pushers,” he added.
However, Panelo said the survey result does no mean that the administration will be complacent.
He said Duterte’s campaign against criminality and illegal narcotics will be pursued until the last day of his term.
Panelo, meanwhile, said that critics of President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war are either people who are connected with illegal activities or politicians belonging to the opposition, who cannot accept the administration’s achievements.
The survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults nationwide.
In his third State of the Nation Address (SONA), Duterte vowed that his administration’s drug war will be “as relentless and chilling” as the day it began.
