Fewer families victimized by common crimes, more by cybercrime – SWS

MANILA, Philippines — A Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed fewer Filipino families being victimized by common crimes but more being victimized by cybercrimes.

Ten percent of respondents reported being victimized by common crimes in June 2026, down from the 12.3 percent in March 2026, according to the SWS poll results published on Monday.

It further noted that respondents reported fewer property crimes from 11.5 percent in March 2026 to 9.1 percent in June 2026; street robbery from 8.9 percent to 7.3 percent; physical violence from 1.7 percent to 1.4 percent; carnapping from 1.1 percent to 0.3 percent; and break-ins from 4.6 percent to 3.5 percent.

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However, the same survey showed 8.0 percent of respondents reporting being victimized by cybercrime in June 2026, up from 5.8 percent in March 2026.

Cybercrimes include hacking, cyberbullying, online fraud, online scams, identity theft, and cyber libel, among others.

Respondents reported an increase of being victimized by cybercrimes from 10.1 percent in March 2026 to 13.4 percent in June 2026 in the National Capital Region; 4.1 percent to 10.4 percent in the Visayas; and 5.3 percent to 8.8 percent in Mindanao.

Meanwhile, respondents reporting being victimized by cybercrimes slightly fell in Balance Luzon from 5.5 percent in March 2026 to 5.1 percent in June 2026.

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The SWS survey also showed that fears of burglary among respondents increased from 60 percent in March 2026 to 62 percent in June 2026.

Likewise, fears of walking the streets at night rose from 55 percent to 59 percent.

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The poll firm also said respondents reported noticing suspected drug addicts slightly more frequently in their neighborhoods from 50 percent in March 2026 to 51 percent in June 2026.

For its part, the Philippine National Police (PNP) took note of the survey results.

“We take the improvement as encouragement, but not as a reason to become complacent,” PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement late Monday night.

“The important thing is to understand what the numbers are telling us and translate that into better police work. Kung may mga stratehiya na gumagana at epektibo, we sustain them; kung may kailangang baguhin, we act on them,” he added.

(The important thing is to understand what the numbers are telling us and translate that into better police work. If there are strategies that work, we sustain them; if something needs to be changed, we act on them.)

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In a follow-up statement on Tuesday morning, addressing the SWS survey’s concerns on the rise of respondents reporting cybercrimes, Nartatez said the PNP–Anti-Cybercrime Group had been directed to intensify its prevention, investigation and awareness efforts. /jpv