PHL falls six spots to 101st in global anti-corruption index for 2016

For the second straight year, the Philippines' ranking fell in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, dropping six spots to 101st in the report for 2016.

On a score of 0 to 100, with 100 being "the cleanest", the Philippines was given a score of 35, the same as its score in 2015. The country had its best score in the index in 2014 when it got a 38 and was ranked 85th.

In the map released by the organization, top-scoring countries in yellow have a "very clean" status while those in orange and red "face the tangible impact of corruption on a daily basis." The Philippines is dark orange on the map.

In the Asia Pacific region, where the Philippines is included, majority of the countries are in the bottom part of the ranking.

"Poor performance can be attributed to unaccountable government, lack of oversight, insecurity and shrinking space for civil society, pushing anti-corruption action against to the margins in those countries," the report said.

Lower-ranked countries are usually plagued by untrustworthy government institutions such as the police and the judiciary.

"People frequently face situations of bribery and extortion, rely on basic services that have been undermined by the misappropriation of funds, and confront official indifference when seeking redress from authorities that are on the take," the report noted.

The report noted that President Rodrigo Duterte, who took office midway through last year, ran on a platform that included fighting corruption. It said it was "too soon to tell" the impact of the Duterte presidency on the corruption perception of the country.

"President Duterte's dramatic rise to power in the Philippines made extensive use of anti-corruption rhetoric. Yet, the impact of death squads, attack on media and violent intimidation to the detriment of democracy institutions is yet to be seen in 2017," said Kate Hanlon, regional program manager of Transparency International.

Denmark is still the cleanest country in the world with a score of 90, the data showed. It was followed by New Zealand (90), Finland (89), Sweden (88) and Switzerland (86). 

Somalia is last at the 176th spot, garnering a score of 10. Cambodia is the most corrupt country in Southeast Asia, with a score of 21. —Anna Felicia S. Bajo/JST, GMA News