Manila, July 21 -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) recently announced a 20.6 percent drop in the country's crime rate for the second quarter of the year even as high-profile violence cases continue to dominate headlines - highlighting heightened public concern for safety and security.

Recent news reports about minors involved in violent crimes, such as stabbing incidents, and headlines about the killings of motorcycle taxi riders in Caloocan and Cavite underscore the reality that numbers do not easily ease worries stirred by brutal, visible crimes.

A photo of a motorcycle taxi rider with a sign on his helmet which reads: "Buntis po ang asawa ko. Huwag niyo po sana akong saktan" quickly went viral on social media last week after th...