PHL slips 10 notches to 95th in global anti-corruption index

The Philippines has slipped ten notches to 95th in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index for 2015.

On a score of 0 to 100, with 100 being "the cleanest", the Philippines was given a score of 35, losing three points from the corruption index in 2014.

Colors closer to yellow indicates a cleaner status, while a deep red (a score of 0-9) means high levels of corruption.

The Philippines is a dark orange on the map.

The country trails Singapore (85), Australia (79), Hong Kong (75), Japan (75), Bhutan (65), Taiwan (62), South Korea (56), Malaysia (50), Mongolia (39), India (38), Thailand (38), China (37), Sri Lanka (37), and Indonesia (36).

A year ago, the Philippines was ahead of China and Indonesia, tied with Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The drop breaks the streak of improvement for the country in the CPI. The country's rating in the index has steadily improved since President Benigno Aquino IIItook office in 2010.

Reality more important than perception

Malacañang, meanwhile, downplayed the Philippines' drop in a global anti-corruption index, saying that the government's efforts through Aquino's programs are taking root.

"What is more important than perception is reality. The reality is that for the past five years, the Philippine government has instituted major reforms that have strengthened the governance structure of our country," Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. told reporters at a briefing.

Still, Coloma expressed confidence that the government's efforts are resulting in tangible gains in battling corruption.

"Perceptions are based on various things but we are more concerned about sustaining the reality of a well established framework for good governance," he said.

The secretary highlighted the government's efforts to increase transparency of government institutions.

"We have initiated the heightened public accountability of government agencies through the mandatory requirement that all government agencies must maintain websites that are accessible to the public," he said.

Blight around the world

The index showed Denmark (91), Finland (90), and Sweden (89) as the cleanest countries to live in.

In the Asia-Pacific, New Zealand leads with 88 points and an overall rank of fourth.

North Korea and Somalia are at the bottom, tied at 167th as both have eight point points.

"Not one single country, anywhere in the world, is corruption-free," Transparency International said in a statement.

“The 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index clearly shows that corruption remains a blight around the world. But 2015 was also a year when people again took to the streets to protest corruption," José Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International.

"People across the globe sent a strong signal to those in power: it is time to tackle grand corruption,” he added.

"Corruption can be beaten if we work together. To stamp out the abuse of power, bribery and shed light on secret deals, citizens must together tell their governments they have had enough," Ugaz said.

Ugaz said that uncovering of large-scale irregularities and the mobilization of citizens against graft is essential in fighting corruption.

"The human cost of corruption is huge, yet all too often leaders with notoriously corrupt records continue to enjoy lives of luxury at the expense of people living in grinding poverty. It’s time they faced the consequence of their actions," he added. -NB/JST, GMA News