By Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos
Malacañang yesterday reiterated its call to the public to cooperate with President Duterte’s campaign to end corruption in government, which, according to the Chief Executive, is a problem that ails the country most.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made the statement after the Philippines was ranked 111th out of 180 countries in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2017 or one of the countries which made little progress in ending corruption.
The 2017 Corruption Perception Index, released on Wednesday, revealed that the Philippines scored 34 out of 100, slightly lower than the country’s score in 2016 which was 35. This was the country’s lowest score in the index in five years.
The Philippines, alongside India and Maldives, is also among the most corrupt countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
New Zealand and Denmark were named the least corrupt countries, with scores of 89 and 88, respectively.
Syria, South Sudan, and Somalia, meanwhile, ranked lowest in the index, scoring 14, 12, and nine, respectively.
Roque said they are taking the ranking seriously. However, he noted that the problem of corruption cannot be resolved overnight.
“We have to underscore that corruption is a problem that cannot be solved overnight. Thus, we are taking the results of Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2017, which shows our 111th (out of 180) ranking, seriously,” Roque said.
“Fighting corruption needs everyone’s cooperation. The government cannot do it alone. Citizens must be vigilant and report corruption,” he added.
Roque said that the Berlin, Germany-based global anti-corruption coalition factored in the protection of the press and non-government organizations in its ranking. The group mentioned the Philippines as among countries which scored high in corruption, have fewer press freedom, and higher number of journalist deaths.
“Transparency International even cited that every week at least one journalist is killed in a country that is highly corrupt, which is not the case in the Philippines,” Roque said.
“There is no truth that we have fewer press freedom. Our media are still able to broadcast and print or publish what they want – fake news included. Filipinos are free to air their grievances with the President even declaring an unprecedented Day of Protest,” he added.
