One of the most “shared” articles on Facebook, passed on to me by dozens of FB

friends, was a news item that first appeared on PhilippinesLifestyle.com on August

15, 2015 entitled “New York Times Says Philippines Most Corrupt Out of Any
Asian Nation, Survey Says” as authored by Timothy Walker, the website’s owner.
When I checked out the website, I noted that its masthead beckons tourists to visit the
county because “It’s more fun in the Philippines.”
Only in the Philippines can the promise of corruption be considered a tourist
attraction.
According to Walker’s article, “Under the shadow of a new survey, the New York
Times considers the Philippines as the most corrupt country in the Asian region. The
survey released on Tuesday said that Singapore ranked as one of the least corrupt of
the 13 Asian economies surveyed – the second least corrupt was Hong Kong and the
third was Japan.
The survey said “The Philippines has the distinction of being perceived in the worst
light this year.” “People are just growing tired of the inaction and insincerity of
leading officials when they promise to fight corruption.”
The website article featured two comments. One reader (“Jun”) asked why this was
“news.” If the survey had shown that the Philippines ranked “first in transparency or
least corrupt Asian nation,” he wrote, then that would have been “a big deal.”
Timothy Walker responded to Jun: “LOL. I don’t make the news, buddy, your country
seems to produce enough of that for the world to see.”
But, despite his disclaimer, the problem is that the author did literally “make the
news.” Walker plagiarized an article which originally appeared in the New York
Times on March 13, 2007 by Carlos Conde entitled “Philippines most corrupt,
survey says” and simply refurbished it.
In his March 2007 article, Conde wrote: “The survey, conducted in January and
February, queried 1,476 expatriate executives in 13 countries and territories in Asia.
The Philippines scored 9.40 where a score of zero is the least corrupt and 10 is the
most corrupt. In the 2006 survey, in which Indonesia was regarded as the most
corrupt, the Philippines scored 7.80. Indonesia improved its score to 8.03 this year, a
development that the report credits to a government anti-corruption campaign. The
report noted, however, that for the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand, where
corruption is systemic, “it is really splitting hairs to say which one has a worse
problem.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/13/business/worldbusiness/13iht-
peso.4891792.html?_r=0
In Walker’s 2015 article, he wrote: “In all, the survey was conducted in over a two
month period at the beginning of 2015 and questioned 1,476 expat executives in the
13 countries and territories throughout Asia. The Philippines scored 9.40 out of 10 on
corruption, giving it the number one spot.” In 2006, the same survey gave the most
corrupt nation to Indonesia – in that same year, the Philippines scored a 7.80 –
Indonesia was still high in corruption in 2015 with an overall score of 8.03. The
survey however said that the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia were systematic in
corruption saying in fact they were all just about as bad as one another.”
http://philippineslifestyle.com/blog/2015/08/15/new-york-times-says-philippines-
most-corrupt-out-of-any-asian-nation-survey-
says/http://philippineslifestyle.com/blog/2015/08/15/new-york-times-says-
philippines-most-corrupt-out-of-any-asian-nation-survey-says/
What Walker did was to slightly tweak Conde’s article and make it appear that the
corruption survey was only conducted this year and that the New York Times article
about the survey was only published in August of 2015 and not in 2007. Apparently,
no one called out Walker or his publication for his plagiarism and false claims.
So Walker’s lie spread like a virus not only in the Internet but also in the print media.
A Philippine Star columnist, Bobit Avila, used Walker’s false news article, ironically
without attributing it to him, and reported in his “Shooting Straight” column on
August 20, 2015 (“Under Noy, Philippines most corrupt in Asia”):“last Aug. 11th, the
New York Times featured a highly embarrassing article that put the Philippines on top
of Asia’s most corrupt economies. This is a testimony of the total failure of Pres.
Benigno Aquino III’s so-called “Daang Matuwid.” Since the New York Times is not
part and parcel of the Yellow propaganda machinery of the Aquinos, the whole world
now knows how corrupt we Filipinos have become under the Aquino Regime.”
Avila went on to write: “While we submit that corruption was already endemic during
the past administrations, however the Philippines was not on top of this embarrassing
list. It was Indonesia that was numero uno. But now under the leadership of PNoy,
we’re numero uno as the most corrupt economy in Asia. Shame on us!”
Avila added: “Allow me to get an excerpt from that New York Times article which
said, “The survey said “The Philippines has the distinction of being perceived in the
worst light this year.” “People are just growing tired of the inaction and insincerity
of leading officials when they promise to fight corruption.” In all, the survey was
conducted in over a two-month period at the beginning of 2015 and questioned 1,476
expat executives in the 13 countries and territories throughout Asia. The Philippines
scored 9.40 out of 10 on corruption, giving it the number one spot.”
No one seems to have bothered to inform Mr. Avila of his error. Not that it would
have mattered but he should have checked the New York Times to determine if there
was such an article that appeared in its August 11, 2015 issue about its corruption
survey.
Apparently, Mr. Avila just deduced the date from the fact that Mr. Walker’s piece
came out on August 15 and in it, he referred to the New York Times article as having
just appeared on the most recent “Tuesday” so he subtracted the days and came out
with “August 11.” Presto. Why bother checking the facts?
I checked out Bobit Avila’s Philippine Star column of September 15 th and it ironically
starts with this line: “Nazi chief propagandist Josef Goebbels once quipped, “A lie
told a thousand times assumes the substance of truth.”
Mr. Goebbels, meet your disciples, Mr. Walker and Mr. Avila.
Now, has there been a change in the level of corruption in the Philippines since the
New York Times survey appeared in March of 2007?
According to Ralph Jennings of Forbes.com in his March 2, 2015 article “Why Graft
is Declining in the Notoriously Corrupt Philippines,” the answer is yes, quoting Rahul
Bajoria, a regional economist with Barclays in Singapore, who reports that ““systems
and processes have become more transparent, and it’s largely reflected in government
projects.”
“It’s tempting to elevate President Benigno Aquino III, since he took office in 2010
on a platform to cut corruption in a country fatigued by it. Corruption has ‘decreased
dramatically’ because of Aquino’s tighter rules on transparency and government
transactions, says Benedict Uy, a Philippine trade representative based now in Taipei.
The decline in dirty deals began after he took office, analysts in Manila say,” Jennings
wrote.
But Jennings does not attribute this decline to Pres. Aquino. “Not to discredit Aquino,
but more credit goes to social media,” Jennings asserts, “the democratic country is
rich in competing interests and free speech. Now with the surge in smartphone
cameras and mobile devices, an opponent who sees someone in office take money or
drive a bling-y new car can send a tweet or post the dirt to Facebook.
“Right now everyone in government and outside government is monitoring each
other,” Manila-based Banco de Oro UniBank chief market strategist Jonathan Ravelas
says. “Social media are there to ring the bells, so people try to be very careful in how
they do things.” Graft remains, he says, but “it has gone down significantly.”
I don’t know. In the last month, I have been “ringing the bell,” reporting about the
corruption I uncovered in the rental of an overpriced $1.8 million evacuation ship
from Libya to Malta last year but there has still been no action by the Department of
Foreign Affairs on this matter other than to write a feeble response.

Read more: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/128395/is-the-philippines-really-the-most-

corrupt-nation-in-asia#ixzz42OC1COee
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

Philippines most corrupt, survey

says
 By CARLOS H. CONDEMARCH 13, 2007
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MANILA — Expatriate businessmen in Asia perceive the
Philippines as the most corrupt country in the region, according to a
survey released Tuesday.

Singapore was ranked as the least corrupt of the 13 economies

surveyed, followed by Hong Kong and Japan, according to the annual
corruption survey conducted by the Political and Economic Risk
Consultancy, based in Hong Kong.

"The Philippines has the distinction of being perceived in the worst

light this year," the survey stated. "People are just growing tired of
the inaction and insincerity of leading officials when they promise to
fight corruption."

The survey, conducted in January and February, queried 1,476

expatriate executives in 13 countries and territories in Asia. The
Philippines scored 9.40, where a score of zero is the least corrupt and
10 is the most corrupt.

In the 2006 survey, in which Indonesia was regarded as the most

corrupt, the Philippines scored 7.80. Indonesia improved its score to
8.03 this year, a development that the report credits to a government
anti-corruption campaign.

The report noted, however, that for the Philippines, Indonesia and
Thailand, where corruption is systemic, "it is really splitting hairs to
say which one has a worse problem."

"The Philippines has been getting the least amount of foreign direct
investment, and the level of foreign capital flowing to its stock
market is also less than in either Indonesia or Thailand," the report
noted.
 To the question "How effective is the judicial system at prosecuting
and punishing individuals for corruption when abuses are
uncovered?" the respondents gave the Philippines a score of 9.06,
with 10 being "ineffective."

The poll is certain to rile President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who

has claimed that her government's efforts against corruption are
bearing fruit. Arroyo hired Tony Kwok, an anti-corruption crusader
from Hong Kong credited for stamping out corruption in the Chinese
territory, as an adviser in 2005.

To the question "To what extent is corruption a deterrent to your

willingness to invest and expand your business?" the Philippines
scored 8.50, with 10 reflecting "a major deterrent."

Local corruption monitors confirm that graft and bribery in the

Philippines remain rampant. Corruption has penetrated every level
of government, from the Bureau of Customs down to the traffic
police officers who pull over motorists to demand bribes.

Nearly $2 billion dollars, or roughly 13 percent of the Philippines'

annual budget, is lost to corruption in the country each year,
according to the United Nations Development Program.

Philippines Corruption Rank 1995-2016 | Data | Chart | Calendar

Philippines is the 95 least corrupt nation out of 175 countries, according to
the 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency
International. Corruption Rank in Philippines averaged 91.67 from 1995 until
2015, reaching an all time high of 141 in 2008 and a record low of 36 in 1995.
Corruption Rank in Philippines is reported by the Transparency
International.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
95.00 85.00 141.00 36.00 1995 - 2015 Yearly
The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public
sector is perceived to be. A country or territory's rank indicates its position relative to the other
countries and territories in the index. This page provides the latest reported value for - Philippines
Corruption Rank - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term
prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. Philippines Corruption Rank - actual
data, historical chart and calendar of releases - was last updated on March of 2016.

Philippines Business Last Previous Highest Lowest Unit

Business Confidence 41.90 51.30 54.90 -32.60

Industrial Production -2.60 1.00 68.60 -26.60 percent

Capacity Utilization 83.50 83.60 83.60 74.30 percent

Changes in Inventories 31023.55 7720.96 92123.96 -83619.51 PHP Million

Car Registrations 103576.00 104832.00 137726.00 11359.00 Cars

Leading Economic Index 0.03 0.14 0.64 -0.62 Index Points

Competitiveness Index 4.39 4.39 4.39 3.90 Points

Competitiveness Rank 47.00 52.00 87.00 47.00

Ease of Doing Business 103.00 97.00 144.00 97.00

Corruption Index 35.00 38.00 38.00 23.00 Points

 Philippines Business Last Previous Highest Lowest Unit

Corruption Rank 95.00 85.00 141.00 36.00

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/philippines/corruption-rank

Corruption levels[edit]
According to a World Bank study in 2006, corruption in the Philippines is considered to be the worst
among East Asia’s leading economies and the country has sunk even lower among those seen to be
lagging in governance reforms.[3] The 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index published by global
watchdog Transparency International, showed that the situation in the country had improved slightly
but still remained serious.[4]

In 2014 the Philippines ranked 85th among 175 countries included in the index,[5] up from its previous
141st ranking in 2008. The nation scored 2.4 in the TI index, compared to 2.3 in 2008, which ranked
it equal to Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Baltic state of Belarus.[6]

Corruption exists in all levels of the government, especially among high-level civil servants,
according to the US Department of State Investment Climate Statement 2013.[7] Companies
generally have little confidence in the Philippine judicial system, and this is due to the allegedly
incompetent court personnel, corruption and long delays of court cases.[8]

Decline[edit]
As of 2012, the Philippines came in at 105 with a 3.4 CPI in Transparency International's list that
ranks 176 (tied with Algeria,Armenia, Bolivia, Gambia, Kosovo, Mali, and Mexico), countries and
territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be.

This is better than the Philippines' 129th out of 178,ranking in 2011 with a 2.6 CPI, in Transparency
International's list. The CPI score indicates the perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale
of 0 - 10, where 0 means that a country is perceived as highly corrupt and 10 means that a country
is perceived as very clean.

Transparency International-Philippines said some of the factors that contributed to the Philippines'
(2.6) slight jump are the improvement in government service, and cutting red tape.[9]

The Philippines' corruption further declined in 2014 upgrading its ranking on Transparency.org CPI
from 94th to 85th in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Political nepotism[edit]
Further information: Political dynasties in the Philippines and List of political families in the
Philippines

The Philippine political arena is mainly arranged and operated by families or alliances of families,
rather than organised around the voting for political parties.[10]

Called the Padrino System, one gains favor, promotion, or political appointment through family
affiliation (nepotism) or friendship (cronyism), as opposed to one's merit. ThePadrino System in the
Philippines has been the source of many controversies and corruption.

It has been an open secret that one cannot join the political arena of the Philippines without mastery
of the Padrino System. From the lowest Barangay official, to the President of the Republic, it is
expected that one gains political debts and dispenses political favor to advance one's career or
influence, if not wealth.

Padrino system is also popularly known as balimbing (starfruit).

See also[edit]

Business Corruption in the Philippines

Corruption restricts the efficiency of businesses operating in the

Philippines. Extensive bribery within the public administration and vague and complex laws make foreign
companies vulnerable to extortion and manipulation by public officials. Favouritism and undue influence are
widespread in the courts, leading to time-consuming and unfair dispute resolution and to an uncertain business
environment. Foreign investors are particularly vulnerable to bribery when trying to obtain licences and permits.
Corruption plagues the customs administration, and fraud is routine for companies when filing import and export
documentation. The Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act criminalises active and passive bribery, extortion, abuse
of office, andconflicts of interest. Gifts are forbidden by law, but small-value gifts are cultural practice.
Facilitation payments are not addressed by anti-corruption regulations. The legislative framework for fighting
corruption is complicated and is not effectively enforced by the weak and non-cooperative law enforcement
agencies.

August 2015

http://www.business-anti-corruption.com/country-profiles/east-asia-the-pacific/philippines/snapshot.aspx
Corruption
in the Philippiness

In the early 1960s, the Philippines was an

economic power. In fact, during the era, the
archipelago nation boasted one of the largest
economies in Asia, behind only Japan.

Today, while it remains an important part of Asean

and the world community at large, it's safe to say
that those glory days are long over. When most
outsiders think of the Philippines today, it is
political instability, economic struggle, crime and
corruption that often come to mind.

Former President of the Philippines Joseph Ejercito Estrada was

found guilty by the Sandiganbayan (anti-graft court) for plunder.

When political leaders lie, cheat and steal, when

public offices become a common public curse
especially in terms of graft and corruption, when
public funds go to private pockets, then we begin
to realize ...
Corruption is the gravest threat to Philippine
democracy and society today. We must stop graft
and corruption in our country!

THIS IS MY COUNTRY PHILIPPINES ...

A Changing Nation - Changing for the worse ...

bribery, corruption and finally, pardon for
plundering leaders. The trouble in our country is
uncontrollable corruption and greed at the highest
level. But still we love our country Philippines ..

CORRUPTION SCANDALS
IN THE PHILIPPINES

Nowadays foreigners and citizens alike say that the

Philippines has the most corrupt leadership and
economy. Corruption in the Philippines has become
"a humanitarian crisis" and scandals increasingly
seem to dominate the news.
The worsening corruption has eaten up the right of
every citizen to good governance, freedom, decent
life, and more importantly his or her dignity.

Corruption is a serious obstacle to the social and

economic development of a country. The biggest
losers are the Filipino people. In effect, the end-
users are made to pay for overpriced goods or
services or are made to deal with low-quality or
substandard goods or services.

PUBLIC MONEY FOR

PUBLIC GOOD

Despite the seriousness of the problem, people in

government seem to show no sense of urgency or
‘mastery' of the steps necessary to fight it. The
same government that taxes us must demonstrate
that public money is being used for public good,
not private greed.

It is our right to demand real change, action and

improvement from those who take our money from
and spend it in our name.
 NEW SCANDALS
TAKE OVER THE OLD

Corruption scandals are only "closed" by the fact of

other corruption scandals taking its place. New
scandals take over and the old ones are left
hanging and unresolved.

The media is literally sinking in reporting scandals

to try and ensure closure on each one.
Nobody ever seems to be punished: They are left to
leave the country, get confined to their state-of-art
hospitals, resign, get offered early retirement
package - even get reassigned. Worse, executive
orders are sometimes issued preventing them from
talking during congressional or other independent
hearings.
 Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno
"Let's bring honesty back to business and
government, and we will redirect our path
as a people back to higher grounds."

THE PHILIPPINES
AND CORRUPTION

According to the World Economic Forum Global

Competitiveness Report 2008-2009, companies
have identified corruption as their number one
concern for doing business in the Philippines, and
bribery appears to be an increasing problem for
companies.

In the World Bank & IFC Enterprise Survey

Philippines 2003, 45% of companies admit to
having paid bribes in order to 'get things done', and
 in the SWS Business Survey on Corruption 2007,
three out of five managers were asked for a bribe
in at least one transaction the previous year, and
the amount of the bribe was higher than it had
been in the past.
Corruption is often encountered when interacting
with public officials. Half the companies surveyed
by SWS report that they are discouraged and claim
that corruption is systemic, forming an integrated
part of the way government works. They also state
that most companies they compete against must
pay bribes in order to obtain a government
contract. Nearly 28% of companies in the
Philippines report that bribes are solicited in their
meetings with tax officials.
Other areas where companies state that bribes or
facilitation payments are often expected is in
obtaining operating licences, construction permits
and import licences. Although the corruption level
of the private sector is not as high as in the public
sector, one-fifth of all company managers claim
that bribes are needed to win a private contract.
According to the SWS Surveys of Enterprises on
Corruption 2006-2007, only 7% of the managers
reported corruption to the authorities, thus
indicating reluctance on their part to be
whistleblowers. More than 66% of the managers
 declared that it was futile to report corruption,
while 49% where afraid of reprisals.

POLITICAL DONATIONS

Other types of private sector corruption common in

the Philippines are illegal donations to political
parties and bribery in order to influence policy-
making. According to the SWS Business Survey on
Corruption 2007, 25% of companies said that a
typical company within their sector would make a
donation to the 2007 election campaigns of an
estimated amount of PHP 245,000.
 It is a commonplace feature of companies in the
Philippines to support politicians directly or to
donate to their parties. Some companies also
report that politicians expect them to make
campaign donations. In general, companies in the
Philippines want some kind of influence in
exchange for their donation, such as influencing
laws and policy-making, or some other undue
advantage.
The concentration of wealth within a small group
of elite families, seen in combination with political
donations, gives these families an undue
advantage, and this has led to concerns as to their
undue influence on both Philippine politics and
business life.

STOP CORRUPTION
According to Transparency International's Global
Corruption Barometer 2007, the Philippine
business sector has problems with corruption,
although the level of corruption in the sector is
reported to have declined from the previous year.
Nevertheless, companies that are planning to
invest in or are already doing business in the
Philippines are recommended to conduct due
diligence when entering into business partnerships
or contracting agents to facilitate business
transactions in the country.
Controlling corruption risks is essential in order to
avoid cases like that of the US company that had to
pay a large civil penalty under the Foreign Corrupt
Practices Act in 2008 and was ordered to dissolve
itself for having been in partnership with a
Philippines based company that had made
numerous illegal payments to foreign government
officials.
According to the SWS Business Survey on
Corruption 2007, two out of five Filipino managers
spend an average of PHP 292,000 to combat
corruption and fraud in their own companies, and
one out of five donates an average amount of PHP
136,000 to an anti-corruption fund. About half
claim that they will continue their donations. The
Philippine private sector thus acknowledges that
 corruption is a huge problem that companies need
to work towards solving.
http://www.taclobanhotels.com/corruption-in-the-philippines.htm

1940s[edit]

 Surplus War Property scandal, 1946 - involving former president Manuel Roxas.

1950s[edit]

 Golden Arinola, 1950 - which involved Pres. Elpidio Quirino, and the born of Senate Blue
Committee.

1960s[edit]

 Stonehill controversy - involving American businessman Harry Stonehill with a $50-million

business empire in the Philippines.
 Jabidah massacre, 1968 - the murder of 28 Moro Muslims, who were clandestinely being trained
on the island of Corregidor to instigate a rebellion in Sabah, Malaysia.

1970s[edit]

 Dovie Beams Tapes Scandal, 1970 - sex scandal involving Pres. Ferdinand Marcos
 Rolex 12, 1972 - controversy involving Pres. Ferdinand Marcos' favoring certain Generals to
propagate his terms of office.
 Coco Levy Fund Scam

1980s[edit]

 Manila Film Center Accident and cover up.

 Bataan Nuclear Power Plant bribery and graft case.
 Imelda Marcos' shoe collection
 Marcos scandals
 Operation Big Bird, 1986 - the bungled plan of the Philippine Government to retrieve the alleged
ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses in Swiss banks.
1990s[edit]

 Mayor Antonio Sanchez case, 1993 - involving the mayor of Calauan, Laguna in the rape of
Eileen Sarmenta, a UP Los Baños student, and the murder of Sarmenta’s boyfriend, Allan
Gomez.
 PEA Amari Scam
 Subic Bay Leadership Dispute, 1998 - Pres. Joseph Estrada's Executive Order No. 1 orders the
removal of Richard Gordon as Chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), and
replaces him with Felicito Payumo.
 Textbook Scam & Nepotism - Pres. Estrada appoints relatives to government positions, and
intervenes in their behalf.
 Hot Cars Scandal - Pres. Estrada assigns seized vehicles by the Bureau of Customs to his
Cabinet secretaries and favored political allies.

2000s[edit]

 BW Resources scandal - Pres. Estrada and associates profit from an alleged stock
manipulation scheme.
 Estrada Midnight Cabinet - Chief of Staff Aprodicio Laquian jests in a press conference that he is
the only one sober during the President's "Midnight Cabinet," drinking and gambling sessions
in Malacañan Palace.
 Juetengate, 2000 - Chavit Singson exposé on Pres. Joseph Estrada receiving jueteng payoffs
and bribes. This led to the impeachment of Estrada and eventual downfall.
 Hello Garci scandal, 2004 - scandal involving Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on
committing electoral fraud during the 2004 National Elections.
 Fertilizer Fund scam, 2004 - controversy involving accusations
that Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante diverted PhP 728 million in fertilizer funds to
the 2004 electioncampaign of President Arroyo.
 GSIS-Meralco bribery case, 2008
 Philippine National Broadband Network controversy, 2008 - (also referred to as the NBN/ZTE
deal or NBN/ZTE mess) involved allegations of corruption in the awarding of a US$329 million
construction contract to Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE for the proposed government-
managed National Broadband Network (NBN).
 Euro Generals scandal, 2008 - involves Eliseo de la Paz and several Philippine National
Police officials who went to Russia on October 2008 to attend the Interpol conference. De la Paz
was detained for carrying a large sum of undeclared money.
 Pimentel III vs. Zubiri Senate Electoral Protest, 2008
 2009 National Artist Controversy, 2009 - controversial proclamation as National Artists of the
Philippines of four individuals via the Presidential prerogative of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, when
the four have not been nominated by the selection committee, composed of representatives
from National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the
Philippines (CCP).

2010s[edit]

 Pork barrel scam, 2013 - involving businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles and several other linked
politicians.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_scandals_in_the_Philippines