ON the afternoon of Jan. 28, while driving northbound across Quezon Bridge in Quiapo, Manila, I witnessed a brazen robbery that exposed the troubling reality of street crimes in the city. A woman in an orange dress became the victim of a snatch-and-grab attack when a male teenager approached her from behind, violently attempting to steal her earrings before rummaging through her bag and fleeing with some of her belongings.
Despite occurring in broad daylight with multiple bystanders present and a police patrol car stationed nearby (foot of the bridge, across Mercury Drugstore), the woman received no assistance. When I reported the incident to traffic enforcers from the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau scattered in front of Quiapo Church, I was met with nothing more than an indifferent shake of the head, as if such crimes had become too commonplace to warrant any action.
This collage of pictures from the author shows a woman being robbed while walking on Quezon Bridge in Quiapo, Manila, on Jan. 28. PHOTOS FROM AL VITANGCOL III
A recent report from the Numbeo Crime Index has ranked Manila as one of the most dangerous cities in Southeast Asia, reflecting a significant increase in crime rate and a growing sense of fear among residents. In 2026, the city received a crime index score of 64.56. (For comparison, New York City has a crime index of 50.63. The lower the score, the safer the place). However, official statistics from the National Capital Region Police Office show declining crime rates. Yet, there’s a significant gap between statistics and reality. Even the police acknowledge that many crimes go unreported. If crimes aren’t properly reported, documented and investigated, official statistics will continue to show improvement while residents continue to feel unsafe. This raises questions about whether the declining statistics reflect actual safety improvements or simply a breakdown in crime reporting and documentation systems.
The incident I witnessed, though seemingly small in the myriad of urban problems, speaks volumes about the current state of the city of Manila. It behooves us to raise questions directed to those in power whom we have entrusted with our safety and the governance of our city.
To Mayor Isko Moreno, I ask: How did we reach a point where criminals operate with such impunity that they attack people in broad daylight, on one of Manila’s busiest bridges, with law enforcement just meters away? What has happened to the police presence that should make our streets safe? When a patrol car is parked within sight of a crime yet remains inactive, what message does this send to both criminals and law-abiding citizens?
Why have your traffic enforcers — representatives of city authority — become so desensitized to crime that they respond to reports with nothing more than a resigned shrug? Is this the culture of indifference that now permeates Manila’s law enforcement agencies? What training, if any, are these public servants receiving about their duty to protect citizens and coordinate with police when crimes occur before their eyes?
Here are more troubling questions that demand answers. Why do bystanders no longer feel compelled — or safe enough — to help a woman being robbed in broad daylight? Have we created a city where fear and apathy reign, where people have learned that intervention is futile because the system itself won’t back them up?
The Quiapo area has long been known for petty crimes, but when did we collectively decide to accept this as inevitable? When did “that’s just how Quiapo is” become an acceptable excuse rather than a call to action? What specific measures has your administration implemented to address the concentration of street crime in this historic district, and why are they clearly not working?
I ask these questions not merely as criticism, but a plea for better governance. Manileños deserve better than a shrug. Our citizens deserve better than to navigate their own city in fear. That woman in the orange dress deserved better than to be victimized twice — once by a petty criminal, and again by a system that couldn’t be bothered to respond.
The resignation I saw on that traffic enforcer’s face reflects a deeper problem in Manila’s governance. It suggests that somewhere along the line, we’ve accepted decline as inevitable.
Yorme, the citizens of Manila are watching. That woman on Quiapo Bridge is one of hundreds of thousands who call this city home and who deserve to walk its streets without fear. What will you do to restore not just safety, but the very idea that safety is possible and that those who wear the uniform actually care?
The answer cannot be another shrug.
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