There is both good and bad news for the Philippines in the latest Global Perception Barometer Index released by Transparency International last week to mark International Anti-Corruption Day (December 9).

The good news is that the country’s average scoring has improved since last year.

The bad news is that it is scoring lower than Cambodia.

From an average mark of 3.4 (where 5 is the worst and 1 the best), respondents now rate the overall level of corruption in the categories measured to be 2.9. Political parties, Parliament, business, public officials and the judiciary all score –marginally– better this year.

Political parties and public officials were least trusted in the five categories measured last year with both scoring a low 4. Now political parties rate 3.6 – still poorly, but better – and public officials stand at 3.5.

Interestingly, the media’s rating remains unchanged – at 2.0. Last year it was rated the most trusted sector by respondents.

With this being all about perceptions, it is hardly a scientific study and Transparency International admits this. At the same time, perception counts for a lot. People make judgments based on perceptions and of course votes are cast on the basis of what people believe.

The barometer is not a strictly like for like annual measure given that this year it measures public perception in 11 sectors as opposed to just six last year. NGOs, religious bodies, the military and education are four new sectors measured – with the police being the fifth. The scores of NGOs (at 2.4) and religious bodies (at 1.9) help to bring the average score down this year and in doing so highlight their potential value as future tools in helping combating corruption in the sectors which rate worse.

It is interesting to note – although perhaps not surprising– that the police score poorly in comparison to the military. Simply, this could be down to the fact that police officers are in continual contact with citizens given their role and thus the opportunities to “shake down” people and demand petty bribes are far higher. Military personnel presumably are much more focused on preserving their physical well-being and from personal experience, I have found many frontline soldiers in the Philippines (and elsewhere) to be very conscientious and honorable people. Of course that is not to say police officers are not. But certainly, given the perception score, they have work to do to build public trust and support.

Minus the comparison with Cambodia, that’s effectively all the good news.

The bad news is the good news recorded above stems from reaction to one of three questions that were asked of respondents in the Philippines and 85 other countries around the world. Answers to the other two questions asked were more depressing. Question 1 asked people whether they thought corruption had decreased, stayed the same or increased over the past three years. The answer from Filipinos was 6, 25 and 69 per cent respectively. That’s a pretty poor score clearly showing the Philippines to be heading in the wrong direction according to a huge majority of people asked.

But of course there is possibly some ‘good news’ in this particular piece of bad news given the question asks about a specific time frame –namely ‘the last three years’.

So it appears to be a clear condemnation of the policies of the previous administration, if only as far as public relations and news management is concerned. The great majority of people asked respond clearly that they perceive the previous government to have overseen a worsening of corruption. Whether this was due to ineptness or actual worsening corruption within government it does not say.

The last piece of bad news and a clear signal to the new administration of President Aquino given the fact this year’s barometer survey this year was conducted between June 1 and September 30 – is that only 28 per cent of people – barely a quarter of those surveyed believe government policies to be effective in combating corruption. Almost half – 48 per cent– believe them to be ineffective with the remainder essentially not being sure.

Of course, one could easily argue it is early days as it is. Yet given this is about perception and given the platform the President stood and was elected on – you might imagine the Philippines should be scoring higher. Cambodia has no change in government, is rife with corruption and yet its score is better.

This could be a flaw in Transparency International’s methodology – and yet it would probably be unwise for Manila to come to such a conclusion and dismiss the report as inaccurate.

It is perhaps better for the government to ask whether this suggests that existing policies to combat corruption are actually not that clear. If so, it might be useful for those concerned to sit down and consider how best to start improving the level of perception that things will change and improve.

If that in turn leads to a review of government policies and strategies designed to combat corruption –then even better.

Perception is not everything – but we ignore these things at our peril.

Alan Davis
Director, Philippine Public Transparency Reporting Project
Head of Asia, Institute for War and Peace Reporting