Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 28) — The Philippines has fallen further down the bottom half of the Corruption Perceptions Index, according to an annual report of Transparency International.
The country placed 115th out of 180 nations in the 2020 index , two slots down from its ranking in 2019. The CPI evaluates countries and territories by “their perceived levels of public sector corruption, according to experts and businesspeople,” the report said.
However, the Philippines’ score of 34 this year was the same as 2019. Of the country’s score in 2020, the organization noted efforts to curb corruption in the country have appeared “mostly stagnant” beginning 2012.
The CPI index uses a scale from 0 to 100. The higher the country’s score, the cleaner it is from corrupt practices.
The country’s 34 score in 2020 is a point lower than what it got in 2016, when President Rodrigo Duterte began his term. The chief executive has frequently said he would not tolerate corruption under his rule, not “even a whiff” of it. In September last year, he revealed he had offered to resign due to rampant corruption in government.
However, Duterte has been criticized over the years for “recycling” or appointing to other posts officials fired earlier for their alleged involvement in anomalies.
Denmark and New Zealand tied for the top spot in the index this year, both garnering a score of 88. South Sudan and Somalia also shared the lowest ranking and placed 179th, both scoring 12 in the index.
“The government’s response to COVID-19 has been characterized by abusive enforcement, and major violations of human rights and media freedom,” the report said of the Philippines .
Transparency International further noted how corruption continues to add to the “democratic backsliding” during the pandemic, and that countries with higher corrupt levels count on less democratic responses to the crisis.
In the Philippines, the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act, which aims to boost security and protection against terrorist acts, took effect in July last year as the pandemic was already in full swing. Critics have condemned it, saying the law has relaxed human rights safeguards and is prone to abuse.
In April last year, the United Nations also flagged some countries’ repressive measures in declaring lockdowns including the Philippines, which it said had implemented a “highly militarized response” to curb the spread of the virus. These countries were said to have had police and security forces using unnecessary force to coerce people into following lockdown and curfew rules, with victims mostly from poor and vulnerable sectors.
The Human Rights Watch likewise said the Philippines’ anti-drugs crusade had worsened during the pandemic-induced lockdown, with deaths linked to the drug war having risen at the height of strict community quarantine measures.
Source: https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/1/28/PH-corruption-perceptions-index-lower-ranking-2020.html??