|
The Philippines' image has taken yet another hit as a survey by corruption watchdog Transparency International showed the country in the top ten list of countries most affected by petty bribery.
The Global Corruption Survey 2007, which polled households on their experiences, had 32% of Philippine respondents replying they paid a bribe in the past year to obtain a service.
This put the Philippines in the top fifth in a list of 60 countries, in the company of Albania, Cameroon, Macedonia, Kosovo, Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania, and Senegal.
The response this year was worse than in the 2006 corruption survey, where 16% of Philippine respondents said they had paid a bribe to obtain a service. That year, the Philippines was in the top third of 62 countries surveyed.
Sought for comment, a Malacanang official maintained that the government was intensifying its drive versus corruption, but an overwhelming number of Filipino respondents, 79%, said they expected corruption to rise in the next three years.
"Among the most pessimistic countries are India, Philippines , Senegal, South Africa, Netherlands and the United Kingdom...," the report said.
The country's score of 32%, paled in comparison to the other marks in the top ten: Cameroon's was 79%, Cambodia, 72%; Albania, 71%; and Kosovo, 67%. Rounding up the list were Pakistan and Macedonia, at 44% each; Nigeria, 40%; Senegal, 38%; and Romania, 33%.
By region, Africa experienced the most demand for bribes, at 42%, while Asia Pacific was second at 22%.
The police were viewed by Filipino respondents as the most affected by corruption: On a scale of one to five, with one equal to not corrupt and five equivalent to extremely corrupt, local law enforcers scored a 3.6.
Following closely were lawmakers (3.5) and political parties (3.4). Tax officials scored 3.1, and the judiciary, 3.0. The best score, 1.8, went to religious groups.
Globally, the police were viewed as the most affected by petty bribery.
"One in every four citizens around the world who had contact with the police was asked to pay a bribe - and one of every six citizens reported that they ended up paying such a bribe," Transparency International said.
The judiciary, globally, emerged as the second worst, and the watchdog said "the very enforcement mechanisms that are crucial for effective anti- corruption efforts are hindered, and public trust is undermined."
Presidential Anti-Graft Commission chairperson Constancia de Guzman told BusinessWorld she had not seen the survey but added that it would serve as "eye opener" for the government.
"We will take it as a cue to look at our policy. But while bribery is a problem, it is declining because the people have more awareness about it," Ms. de Guzman said in a phone interview.
She said the anti-red tape law recently passed by Congress would help
"But the people should also do their share in combating corruption. They must not give bribes or they should pay the right taxes," Ms. de Guzman said.
At the launch of the survey in Berlin, Transparency international chairman Huguette Labelle said the results "made it clear that too often, people must part with their hard-earned money to pay for services that should be free."
The poor are hit hardest by petty bribery as they are more likely than those from a high-income bracket to pay bribes when seeking services.
Ms. Labelle said, however, that the watchdog had noticed some cause for hope.
"We are heartened ... that the public is increasingly demanding the accountability of the very institutions that most affect their lives, as this is a powerful driver of change," she said.
COUNTRIES MOST AFFECTED BY BRIBERY
Percentage of respondents reporting they paid a bribe to obtain a service
| Quintile |
Countries/Territories |
| Top quintile:
More than 32% |
Albania, Cambodia, Cameroon, FYR Macedonia,
Kosovo, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, Senegal |
| Second quintile:
18-32% |
Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Greece, India, Indonesia, Lithuania, Maldova, Peru, Serbia, Ukraine |
| Third
quintile: 6-18% |
Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Panama, Russia, Turkey, Venezuela, Vietnam |
| Fourth quintile:
2-6% |
Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Finland,
Hong Kong, Ireland, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom, United States |
| Bottom quintile:
Less than 2% |
Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland,
Japan, South Korea, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland |
|
Source: Transparency International Global Corruption Barometer 2007
Due to problems with data, results for Colombia, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala,
Norway, Poland, Thailand and Singapore could not be used. In Germany and Italy the question was not asked. |
|
