Still "highly corrupt"

"Despite the improvement in overall ranking, the Philippines is still considered as 'highly corrupt' country in the world along with Kenya, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Republic of Congo, Uganda, Timor Leste, Lebanon, Solomon Islands, Mali, Mongolia, Niger, Libya, Iran, Nepal, Yemen, Cambodia, Venezuela, Honduras, Syria, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Benin, Gabon, Indonesia, Kosovo, Kazakhatan, Modova, among others." - Transparency International.



RP's ranking in global corruption improves
October 27, 2010, 8:41am
see - http://www.mb.com.ph/node/284428/rp

MANILA, Oct. 26 (PNA) - The Philippines ranking in global corruption improved for the past three years, according to Transparency International (TI) survey.

In its 2010 Corruption Perception Index (CPI), TI said the Philippines was ranked 134th with a score of 2.4, better than its 139th ranking in 2009.

In 2008, the Philippines was ranked 141st with a score of 2.3.

Despite the improvement in overall ranking, the Philippines is still considered as "highly corrupt" country in the world along with Kenya, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Republic of Congo, Uganda, Timor Leste, Lebanon, Solomon Islands, Mali, Mongolia, Niger, Libya, Iran, Nepal, Yemen, Cambodia, Venezuela, Honduras, Syria, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Benin, Gabon, Indonesia, Kosovo, Kazakhatan, Modova, among others.

The Philippines also continued to lag behind most of its neighoring countries in Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, 56th; Thailand, 78th; Indonesia, 110th and Vietnam, 116th.

Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore tie for first place with scores of 9.3.

The 2010 CPI measures the degree to which public sector corruption is perceived to exist in 178 countries around the world. It scores countries on a scale from 10 (very clean) to 0 (highly corrupt).

The 2010 results were drawn from 13 surveys and assessments published between January 2009 and September 2010.

This year’s index ranks 178 countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys. All sources measure the overall extent of corruption (frequency and/or size of bribes) in the public and political sectors.

The CPI helps to highlight the propensity of domestic corruption and its damaging influence.

TI defines corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain.

“These results signal that significantly greater efforts must go into strengthening governance across the globe. With the livelihoods of so many at stake, governments’ commitments to anti-corruption, transparency and accountability must speak through their actions. Good governance is an essential part of the solution to the global policy challenges governments face today,” Huguette Labelle, chair of TI said.

Labelle said allowing corruption to continue was unacceptable; too many poor and vulnerable people continued to suffer its consequences around the world.

"We need to see more enforcement of existing rules and laws. There should be nowhere to hide for the corrupt or their money,” Labelle said.

To fully address these challenges, TI said governments need to integrate anti-corruption measures in all spheres, from the responses to the financial crisis and climate change to commitments by the international community to eradicate poverty.

The report said unstable governments, often with a legacy of conflict, continued to dominate the bottom rungs of the CPI.

Afghanistan and Myanmar share second to last place with a score of 1.4, with Somalia coming in last with a score of 1.1.

“The results of this year’s CPI show again that corruption is a global problem that must be addressed in global policy reforms," Labelle said.

TI said the 2010 CPI covered two countries fewer than last year’s edition.

The slight change resulted from individual sources adjusting the range of countries they assess. These adjustments in coverage made it possible to include Kosovo for the first time, but led to the exclusion of Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname, for which only two sources of information were available this year. (PNA)