RP Most Corrupt in Asia

[budmendz]

why blame abs-cbn??

both local and foreign news service are reporting it......

Philippines will once again be in the banner news from indonesia, malaysia, thailand, vietnam, hong kong, china, japan etc..... all newspapers will report it local or foriegn...

all news

Bai ang media nato morag mga iro Bisaya. Paghut ang usa, paghut tanan. Ha-ha-ha-....

[arnolfu]

PGMA is in denial.

Although she can't be solely blamed. She's only one person as compared to the whole well entrenched venal system. Even during the time of the great dictator Marcos to Cory to Ramos and Erap, rampant corruption still went unabated. Warlords, dynasties...

It's all about us...you...me. Have you done something to stop one lately?

Here one essay from a foreigners point of view:

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FOR THE LOVE OF OUR COUNTRY PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE
__________________________________________________ ________________
The message goes:
As you know, we have plenty of Koreans currently studying in the Philippines to take advantage of our cheaper tuition fees and learn English at the same time.

This is an essay written by a Korean student I want to share with you. (Never mind the grammar; it's the CONTENT that counts ) Maybe it is timely to think about this in the midst of all the confusionat present.

MY SHORT ESSAY ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES
Jaeyoun Kim

Filipinos always complain about the corruption in the Philippines . Do you really think the corruption is the problem of the Philippines ? I do not think so. I strongly believe that the problem is the lack of love for the Philippines .


Let me first talk about my country, Korea . It might help you understand my point. After the Korean War, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Koreans had to start from scratch because entire country was destroyed after the Korean War, and we had no natural resources.

Koreans used to talk about the Philippines , for Filipinos were very rich in Asia . We envy Filipinos. Koreans really wanted to be well off like Filipinos. Many Koreans died of famine. My father & brother also died because of famine. Korean government was very corrupt and is still very corrupt beyond your imagination, but Korea was able to develop dramatically because Koreans really did their best for the common good with their heart burning with patriotism.

Koreans did not work just for themselves but also for their neighborhood and country. Education inspired young men with the spirit of patriotism.

40 years ago, President Park took over the government to reform Korea . He tried to borrow money from other countries, but it was not possible to get a loan and attract a foreign investment because the economic situation of South Korea was so bad. Korea had only three factories. So, President Park sent many mine workers and nurses to Germany so that they could send money to Korea to build a factory. They had to go through horrible experience.

In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrow money. Hundred of Koreans in Germany came to the airport to welcome him and cried there as they saw the President Park . They asked to him, "President, when can we be well off?" That was the only question
everyone asked to him. President Park cried with them and promised them that Korea would be well off if everyone works hard for Korea , and the President of Germany got the strong impression on them and lent money to Korea . So, President Park was able to build many factories in Korea . He always asked Koreans to love their country from their heart.

Many Korean scientists and engineers in the USA came back to Korea to help developing country because they wanted their country to be well off. Though they received very small salary, they did their best for Korea . They always hoped that their children would live in well off country.

My parents always brought me to the places where poor and physically handicapped people live. They wanted me to understand their life and help them. I also worked for Catholic Church when I was in the army. The only thing I learned from Catholic Church was that we have to love our neighborhood. And, I have loved my neighborhood. Have you cried for the Philippines ? I have cried for my country several times. I also cried for the Philippines because of so many poor people. I have been to the New Bilibid prison. What made me sad in the prison were the prisoners who do not have any love for their country. They go to mass and work for Church. They pray everyday.

However, they do not love the Philippines . I talked to two prisoners at the maximum-security compound, and both of them said that they would leave the Philippines right after they are released from the prison. They said that they would start a new life in other countries and never come back to the Philippines .

Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so that we were able to share our wealth with our neighborhood. The owners of factory and company were distributed their profit to their employees fairly so that employees could buy what they needed and saved money for thefuture and their children.

When I was in Korea , I had a very strong faith and wanted to be a priest. However, when I came to the Philippines , I completely lost my faith. I was very confused when I saw many unbelievable situations in the Philippines . Street kids always make me sad, and I see them everyday. The Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia , but there are too many poor people here. People go to church every Sunday to pray, but nothing has been changed.

My parents came to the Philippines last week and saw this situation. They told me that Korea was much poorer than the present Philippines when they were young. They are so sorry that there are so many beggars and street kids. When we went to Pasangjan, I forced my parents to take a boat because it would fun. However, they were not happy after taking a boat. They said that they would not take the boat again because they were sympathized the boatmen, for the boatmen were very poor and had a small frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed it. But, my parents did not enjoy it because of love for them.

My mother who has been working for Catholic Church since I was very young told me that if we just go to mass without changing ourselves, we are not Catholic indeed. Faith should come with action. She added that I have to love Filipinos and do good things for them because all of us are same and have received a great love from God. I want Filipinos to love their neighborhood and country as much as they love God so that the Philippines will be well off.

I am sure that love is the keyword, which Filipinos should remember. We cannot change the sinful structure at once. It should start from person. Love must start in everybody, in a small scale and have to grow. A lot of things happen if we open up to love. Let's put away our prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes.

I discover that every person is worthy to be loved. Trust in love, because it makes changes possible. Love changes you and me. It changes people, contexts and relationships. It changes the world. Please love your neighborhood and country.

Jes us Christ said that whatever we do to others we do to Him. In the Philippines , there is God for people who are abused and abandoned. There is God who is crying for love. If you have a child, teach them how to love the Philippines . Teach them why they have to love their neighborhood and country. You already know that God also will be very happy if you love others.

That's all I really want to ask you Filipinos .

(FOR THE LOVE OF OUR COUNTRY PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE)

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Hmmmmmmmm......

[pandisal]

speaking of lampost controversy! hehehehe! (from 30K to 224K! - isn't that a big time corruption?)

[duke pikaso]

RP ‘most corrupt’ in Asia -- PERC

‘It’s bad and has been bad all along’
By Cyril Bonabente
Inquirer, Agence France-Presse
Last updated 01:53am (Mla time) 03/14/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- Despite the much-publicized efforts by the Arroyo administration to curb corruption, foreign businessmen perceive the Philippines to be the most corrupt economy among 13 countries and territories across Asia.

The Philippines replaced Indonesia as the country with “the distinction of being perceived in the worst light this year,” the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy said Tuesday in a summary of its survey that was made available to Agence France Presse (AFP).

PERC, which provides advice to private firms and governments, polled 1,476 expatriate businessmen in the region in January and February. Of the total, more than 100 were based in the Philippines.

The survey also found some countries were failing properly to tackle corruption.

In a grading system with zero as the best possible score and 10 the worst, the Philippines got 9.40, worsening sharply from its grade of 7.80 last year. Indonesia had been deemed Asia’s most corrupt country in 2006.

PERC said it had not noted a worsening in the actual situation in the Philippines despite its deteriorating score.

“It is bad and has been bad all along. People are just growing tired of the inaction and insincerity of leading officials when they promise to fight corruption,” it said.

When asked by PERC to assess how serious the corruption problem in the public sector was, Philippine-based foreign entrepreneurs gave an average score of nine.

Private sector good

Perceived corruption in the private sector was not as bad, however.

Aside from asking the expatriates to grade corruption in the public and private sectors, PERC had them assess the effectiveness of the judiciary in fighting corruption and the tolerance of average citizens toward corruption.

In a phone interview from Hong Kong, PERC managing director Robert Broadfoot said: “Respondents gave the private sector a score of 4.15, which is quite good.”

The interviewees were mostly Western businessmen and were in the trading, banking and manufacturing industries.

When PERC noticed the discrepancy between the distrust levels for the public and private sectors, it asked other expatriates, “major” Filipino businessmen and universities to explain why the respondents gave the public sector a bad rating, Broadfoot said.
Estrada trial, raps vs Arroyo

“Cited were unresolved cases like the corruption trial of deposed President Joseph Estrada. The case has been dragging on for years. Then there’s the opposition’s [corruption and electoral fraud] charges against President (Gloria) Macapagal-Arroyo,” Broadfoot told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Estrada was put on trial for plunder after he was ousted in 2001. He was charged with plunder for allegedly amassing some P4 billion in payoffs from illegal gambling operations, tobacco tax kickbacks and commissions.

Calls from various sectors, including the Church, that Ms Arroyo be investigated for allegedly cheating in the 2004 presidential election remain unheeded after impeachment complaints against her were defeated in the House of Representatives twice -- in 2005 and 2006.

Inappropriate to compare

Broadfoot said credible corruption trials could convince businessmen that the Philippines was serious about fighting corruption.

The PERC managing director, however, said it might be inappropriate to compare the Philippines’ corruption rating with that of other Asian countries.

“The Philippines’ score was based only on interviews of expatriates in the country. [PERC] did not ask a single group of expatriates to give scores to all Asian countries,” he said.

Broadfoot said it would be better to compare the Philippines’ current corruption rating with its previous scores.

Singapore and Hong Kong were seen as the cleanest economies, while China, Indonesia and Vietnam posted improvements, said PERC.

Thai junta

The perception of corruption in Thailand worsened, with the military junta now in power after last September’s coup seen as being little better than the government it ousted.

Thailand and Indonesia, both with a grade of 8.03, shared the spot as Asia’s second most corrupt nations.

The junta that ousted Thaksin Shinawatra as Thailand’s prime minister last year promised to fight corruption “but there is no reason to be confident that its behavior will be any cleaner,” PERC said.

On Indonesia, PERC said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s campaign to crack down on corruption had “produced some positive results, but he is still swimming against the current.”

The rankings of the 13 economies put Malaysia in the middle, marginally worse than last year.

“One of the big disappointments for many Malaysians is that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has not been able or willing to follow through effectively with his campaign promise to reduce corruption,” PERC said.

Media censorship in China

China and Vietnam bettered their scores, but PERC said that the improved perception was because corruption was not being discussed openly.

“The media in both China and Vietnam are subject to tight censorship. The only bad news the governments want published is news that they see fit for public consumption,” it said.

China was the seventh most corrupt nation, according to the survey, up two places from last year. Vietnam was in 10th place out of 13, also up two places.

India was in ninth place. PERC said the Indian government must accelerate reforms, warning that corruption could limit companies’ expansion plans.

Singapore again just beat regional rival Hong Kong as the cleanest economy, although the latter posted a sharp improvement from its image in 2006.

This may have resulted from a perception that “the differences between Hong Kong and (mainland) China are even starker now,” Broadfoot said.

Singapore is becoming increasingly vulnerable to corruption elsewhere, the PERC report said, citing the soured investment by Temasek Holdings, a state-linked investment firm, in Thai telecom giant Shin Corp.

The tax-free sale of Shin Corp. to Temasek by the Thaksin family fueled the political crisis that led to the military taking power in Thailand.

Another problem, according to the report, is that foreigners “who have profited from corruption elsewhere in Asia sometimes seek a haven for their ill-gotten gains” in Singapore, where rich Indonesian families hold massive assets.

Indonesia pleased

Indonesia was pleased that its image had improved.

“I think there is enough basis for that rating, because there have now been a lot of anticorruption policies put in place,” said Teten Masduki, chair of Indonesia Corruption Watch.

He said reforms were beginning to yield results within the government, including in curbing corrupt practices and promoting transparency.

“Of course we are happy,” said Johan S.P. Budi, spokesperson for Indonesia’s National Anti-Corruption Committee.

“At least it shows the seriousness of the government in its efforts to improve its image and in curbing corruption,” he said.

Conflicts of interest

Somchai Jitsuchon, director of macroeconomics at the Thailand Development Research Institute, said he was not surprised by the findings, which related mainly to the Thaksin era.

“Circumstantial evidence has clearly shown that there is no improvement in terms of policy corruption, while emerging conflicts of interest got worse during Thaksin’s government,” Somchai told AFP.

He said policies endorsed during Thaksin’s administration overwhelmingly benefited certain business groups, especially those owned by Thaksin himself.

“Given the limited tenure of this interim government, the chance of corruption rising further is minimal. But it doesn’t mean all these bureaucrats would not become corrupt if they had a chance,” Somchai said

[duke pikaso]

Philippines most corrupt, survey says
By Carlos H. Conde
The International Herald Tribune
Published: March 13, 2007


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.

[digitalsuperman]

this is awfull..

[slakker]

even if you just take Mandaue City, we will still be the most corrupt in Asia...

[FK]

btaw... that's old news... what's new? GMA owning what is negative?
naaa... he only admit achievements. :P

[jerx d great]

how shameful! an eyeopener to the administration!!

[contra vida]

Nagkabuang ug depensa ang admin. Corrupt, corrupt.