Pickpockets Philippines

Pickpockets in the Philippines

Watch out, pickpockets are everywhere! The human type steals the most.

Pickpockets on jeepneys in the Philippines

On two occasions I have been the victim of pick pockets who failed in their attempts to rob me while riding in jeepneys.

The first time the pickpocket had already emptied my wallet and pushed the money and credit cards under the bench. I finally realized that he was trying to rob me and I grabbed his wrist and raised his hand quickly in the air and held it there while I repeatedly tapped the driver on the shoulder and told him several times "a guy is trying to rob me." The driver totally ignored my taps and repeated statements. Apparently the pickpocket was in cahoots with the driver who would retrieve the loot when he parked the jeepney at the jeepney terminal at SM Clark City Mall (near the old Clark Field Base).

This young pickpocket and an old man were working as a team. The young man was dressed in a t-shirt with bold blue and white horizontal stripes and looked like a rather wealthy college student. The "student" dropped some coins as he was handing them to me to pass to the driver. The old, unkempt, man across from me extended his leg and tried to "retrieve" the coin from under the bench I was sitting on. He kept up his foot action to distract me while the pickpocket was emptying my wallet. Fortunately my action prompted the two of them to hurriedly get off the jeepney at the next stop.

After the pickpocket team left the jeepney, a young lady, who had witnessed the whole thing, told me that my stuff was under the bench. I thanked her and bent over and recovered my stuff from under the seat. It was all there, including my credit cards and about 2,000 pesos of paper money.

You will be squeezed into a spot on one of the benches in a jeepney. Do not carry a lot of money. Keep your bag at your chest and keep a hand on it. Be very aware of who sits next to you.

The second time I was in a jeepney on Fields Avenue in the Balibago section of Angeles City. He climbed in and sat close to me. I happened to look down at my shoulder bag and noticed some sales receipts sticking out of the unzipped pocket (a zipper that I always keep zipped closed). He had a jacket over his arm and was still very close to me. I pushed him rather gently with my elbow and he didn't move away. I gently pushed about 3 more times and he still never moved further away. Finally he apparently gave up and got out when the jeepney stopped to let another passenger off. You should have seen the way he looked when he was walking toward the sidewalk. His face was totally scrunched up in disgust. Foiled again! After he had left another passenger let me know that she had indeed seen the activity but was too scared to say anything at the time.

I don't know how often actions similar to mine end of with an American getting stabbed or shot. But I am glad that nothing worse happened to me.

To learn about how to protect yourself from pickpockets read this wikitravel article.

Even "lofty" politicians are not immune to someone taking the watch right off their wrist while they are shaking hands in a crowd! And, they are surrounded by bodyguards.

Most Filipinos are Honest

To be fair to Filipinos, there have been more than a few occasions when I have dropped money while in line at fast food restaurants in the Philippines or dropped my hat while riding in a jeepney. Each time a Filipino has tapped me on the arm or shoulder and let me know about it. Of course I thanked them profusely. The vast majority of Filipinos are scrupulously honest and very pleasant people.

Read about the Most Common Crimes in the Philippines. Learn how to avoid being a victim.

Read what the US State Department has to say about threats to your safety and security in the Philippines.

If you have had experiences with pickpockets in the Philippines please share with my readers by making comments below.

If you are considering buying real estate in the Philippines.

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This post will be expanded. Check back for more information about pickpockets and crime in the Philippines. Last updated June 4, 2022.