The Philippines remains one of the most corrupt countries in the world, according to Transparency International (TI)’s annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI). In the Berlin-based corruption watchdog’s survey, Denmark, Finland and New Zealand were found to be the least corrupt while the Philippines placed 131st among 180 countries on the corruption scale. The country shares the spot with Iran, Libya, Burundi, Honduras and Nepal, while Somalia and Myanmar were tied at the bottom as the most corrupt.
   The results were obtained by collating perceptions on the degree of corruption by businesspeople and analysts of those countries. On a scale of 10, any score below 5 indicates “serious” perceived levels of corruption, while scores below 3 reflect “rampant” corruption, the TI report said.
    The Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC)’s Information Officer Mina G. Satorre points out that the Philippines has maintained a CPI rating of 2.5 for the last three years, which means that corruption as perceived is not worsening nor improving. The PAGC is the President’s arm in curbing graft and corruption and in strengthening institutionalized anti-corruption measures. Currently, the commission is running programs to deter and prevent corruption in the Executive Department. According to Satorre, the fight against graft and corruption has even intensified since 2004 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was elected after three years of interim presidency replacing ousted President Joseph Estrada. “Results of reforms take time before people get to appreciate them,” she adds.
   On the other hand, Vincent T. Lazatin, Executive Director of Transparency and Accountability Network (TAN) states that corruption is still very much pervasive in the country and he does not think that the government’s campaign against corruption has been effective. However, he remains optimistic, “there are exceptions, such as the earnest efforts of the PAGC, some bright spots in the Department of Health and Department of Education and the Department of Public Works and Highways.”

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