There is a need for an increased public participation in the government’s anti-corruption initiatives to curtail graft in the country, Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said Monday.
Pernia’s statement came in the wake of the release of the 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), where the Philippines placed 113th out of 180 countries, dropping 14 spots from its position in 2018. This translates into a percentile rank of 37.2, falling short of the 2019 target in the 2017-2022 Philippine Development Plan Results Matrix.
In terms of score, the Philippines garnered 34 points out of 100, which is lower from its 36 points out of 100 score in 2018. This means the country reverted to its 2017 and 2012 levels.
“We must improve engagement with our citizens to build trust and confidence in the government. Stamping out corruption must be done as a nation; everyone has a role to play to free our country from the shackles of corruption,” Pernia said.
In the Asean region, the country declined to seventh place out of 10 countries; its previous ranking was 5th in 2018. The Philippines experienced the steepest decline in percentile rank this year at -7.78 notches.
Transparency International, which publishes the annual index, attributed the decline in the perceived shortcomings of exercising the full democratic rights of citizens and stakeholders in the country.
“Let us encourage our citizens to report incidents of corruption through the 8888 hotline. But we also appeal to people to promote integrity by not giving false information,” Pernia said.
“While we encourage the use of technology through mobile and web platforms to increase access and improve awareness of anti-corruption initiatives, we also need to emphasize the need to be responsible,” Pernia said.
He added technology would be crucial in simplifying procedures to expedite processing and prosecution of cases.
“The government should also enhance interagency and multi-stakeholder cooperation to ramp up its anti-corruption initiatives and increase impact. These could improve public perception and satisfaction with government services,” he said.
The PDP Midterm Update, which will be published within the first quarter of 2020, details strategies to ensure clean and efficient government.